Blood of the Moon
by Faux Fox
Summary: A/U-With his father missing, Gohan is rescued from his abusive mother by the last person he'd expect. They discover secrets of their blood and how to save their dying race. OOC to various degrees. Beware Chi-Chi fans (since few read ch 1 disclaimer on that)
1. Second Chances

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

This story is AU (obviously, it's fanfiction). Some characters will be OOC to different degrees (Sorry any Chi-Chi fans). Influence is mostly manga, but some of the anime. Names will mostly be anime as that is what most people are used to.

 **Chapter one: Second Chances**

As the fog lifted from Vegeta's mind, slowly everything around him came back into focus. Lack of feeling from his body made him realize he had none. Just a formless mass of soul. Around him other souls waited, tittering amongst themselves as the queue slowly snaked forward.

Memories flowed back. Green Namekian sky. Frieza's killing blast to his heart. Baring his soul to Kakarot, that if it were not for the tyrant enslaving him at such a young age, he might have turned out much differently. Pleading with his fellow Saiyan to avenge the death of their race and destruction of their homeworld. Then utter darkness.

So he was dead. Millions of souls would no doubt rejoice at his passing in much the same fashion as he had done to them. Now he awaited his time of judgement. He wondered why they even bothered with the line for souls such as his. He had no illusions about where he was heading. The last prince of an extinct race, soon to join his kin in hell.

No, he corrected himself, not quite extinct ... yet. Kakarot and his halfling son still lived. At least for the moment. Frieza would surely be sending them to the afterlife as well soon.

Thoughts of the brat made him mentally scowl. So much wasted potential. He'd seen what the child could do, and at such a young age. The boy couldn't be more than 4 or 5. He still had chubby baby fat clinging to his frame. He'd developed almost a respect for the whelp on Namek. At the battle on Earth, he'd momentarily considered grabbing the child and whisking him away to mold into a true warrior as the boy's father had obviously been neglecting his training. It was only a fleeting thought, though. He had his own hide to save as he was barely able to drag himself into his summoned pod and escape.

A horned office worker nudged his vaporous form, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Hey! You're up. It's not good to keep King Yemma waiting."

Soon he floated before a massive desk. The giant, red judge of the dead regarded him with a critical eye. "So the last of the blood thirsty Saiyans finally stands before me. Let's get the formalities over with and speed you off to hell."

Opening a book, the looming ogre read some before speaking. "Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans. Purger of planets. Slaughterer of millions. Your ledger is far into the red. You'll have a long punishment in hell before your soul is cleansed and recycled for another try. My judgement is passed. Off to hell with ..." He paused startled, as the halo above the cloud shaped soul vanished. "Well now," he said pondering, "It seems you've been granted a second chance at life by someone's doing."

The last words the soul heard before everything went black again were "I wouldn't waste it if I were you. Get some black in your ledger before we meet again and I may reduce your sentence."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Darkness. All he knew was darkness and oppressive, airless entombment. The fire in his lungs drove him to claw his way out of the Namekian soil.

 _'Buried. I was buried. Someone cared enough to show me dignity in death. Probably that sentimental fool, Kakarot.'_ he thought.

Finally catching his breath, he stared at the distance in awe. _'What is this massive power I feel? There are two of them. One must be Frieza, but who is the other?'_ he wondered for a moment before everything _shifted_ and he was staring at blue sky, green grass, and trees. The feel of the massive chi's was gone. _'Where am I now?'_

Sounds filled his ears. Excited whispers and joyous shouts. _'This looks like Earth.'_ A glance around seemed to confirm his suspicions as he saw Namekians scattered around talking excitedly to the blue haired Earth woman and Kakarot's whelp. Somehow they were the cause of this with those dragonballs. **His** resurrection was a mistake he knew. No one would ever have willingly wished him back from the dead. However, he wasn't one to overlook a gift. He planned to put off his next trip to otherworld and it's waiting punishment for as long as he could. With a sigh he leaned back on a tree near where he had materialized. Perhaps they would all leave soon without noticing him. Then he could slip off to figure out what he was going to do with this life.

The chattering of the Nameks drew his attention again.

Guru, the torpid ancient father of the Namekians, was explaining to his offspring what had transpired. "This is Earth, my children. The Earth's guardian wished back everyone killed by that vile Frieza and his minions. Then the great Porunga was asked to bring us all here before our world was ripped apart."

 _'So that's why I'm alive'_ was the first thought that crossed Vegeta's mind.

"Great Elder! We can't find anyone from Elder Caracol's village!" Moori, the Namekian elder cried.

With an evil smirk, Vegeta spoke from his relaxed position against the tree. "That would probably be the village I destroyed. The wish was for everyone killed by Frieza and his men. To bad I wasn't one of his men."

Looks of disbelief and anger crossed the faces of the Namekians. This monster that slaughtered their kind was casually looking at them with arrogance etched in every fiber of his body. Before they could decide on their next course of action, seven large stone balls crashed heavily into the ground beside the group.

Guru spoke in rattling breath. "I see the dragonballs have followed us from Namek. That is good. My time is at an end. Moori please step closer."

The eldest of Guru's children rushed to his side.

"When I pass you will become the great elder, Moori. The guardianship of the dragonballs will pass to you. In time their brilliance will shine again. Use them wisely. Find a new home where our people can live in peace." With a final shuddering breath, the massive body of Guru stilled, then slowly faded from existence.

Gohan stood beside Piccolo, quietly thanking Dende for healing his mentor. _'It's great to be back on Earth! I thought we were all going to explode with planet Namek!'_ His thoughts turned dark with worry. _'Daddy...'_

Just then Bulma turned towards the trio, away from her intense search of the crowd. "Hey, where are Goku and Krillin? They aren't here!"

A look of worry crossed Gohan's young face. "Frieza killed Krillin. Daddy stayed to fight because of Krillin. He transformed into something new. All bright and gold and full of power. He said he will come back to Earth."

Bulma and Piccolo had startled looks on their faces, quickly followed by confusion for Bulma. "But if Frieza killed Krillin, where is he? Shouldn't he have come back to life?"

"It's because of the dragonballs. If you've been brought back to life before, you can't be brought back again." Gohan stared dejectedly at the ground. In their journey to Namek and battles there, the two had grown rather close. Gohan felt that Krillin was like a big brother, and he would miss his friend.

At this Dende spoke up in his quiet voice. "Is that how Earth's dragonballs work? You can only be brought back to life once? Our Namek dragonballs can revive you as many times as needed as long as it wasn't a natural death. But they can only bring back one person at a time."

Bulma and Gohan's faces brightened at this. Gohan jumped in the air with excitement at having his friend and battle partner back. "Yes! That means we can ask to use the Namekian dragonballs and bring Krillin back."

He danced around excitedly like the child he was. "Now we just have to wait and wish Daddy back to Earth as well."

Gohan turned to look at Bulma who had a faraway look in her eyes like she was concentrating on something. "Are you ok, Bulma?"

After a few moments, Bulma looked down at the boy with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Gohan. King Kai was just talking to me. He said that planet Namek exploded and that your father is dead." She took a deep shuddering breath to steady her nerves. "And we can't wish him back because he'd reappear where he died and since there is no planet there anymore he'd just die again. I'm so sorry, Gohan." She pulled the stunned child into her arms, sharing in his misery.

The group of Nameks had fallen silent as Bulma had began to speak of King Kai's words. Now they stood quietly with no one knowing what to say to comfort the pair. A deep voice flowed across the clearing in the silence. "You humans are idiots. Just use more than one wish. Earth has a check in station. Just wish Kakarot back there, then wish him back to life." Everyone had turned their stunned faces to look at Vegeta as he spoke.

Bulma gave a bright smile to the alien prince. "You're a genius! We can get Goku back!"

Vegeta turned his head away from her with a grunt.

Gohan bounced up to Vegeta in excitement, holding out his hand to the Prince. Vegeta swatted the boy's hand away. "Don't get the wrong idea, whelp. I'm not helping you out of kindness. I just want to see this Super Saiyan that your father transformed into for myself." With that he pushed off from the tree and stalked off.

Regaining her composure, Bulma turned back to the Namekians with a smile. "Since all of you have no home for the moment, you can all come stay with me. We have plenty of space."

Elder Moori stepped forward to her. "That is very kind of you, but we don't wish to intrude. We will find ourselves a suitable planet, and then when our dragonballs become active again, we will wish to go there."

Bulma gave him a bigger grin. "That's great! I'll help you look for a planet, but in the meantime I insist you stay with me. We have tons of space." She turned and looked off in the distance. "I think I saw a farmhouse. Let me go ask them if I can make a phone call and I'll get my Dad to bring us some transport." She gave a wave and skipped off in the direction she thought she'd seen the house.

A little while later, Bulma was back with the group. "Ok, Dad is on the way. He should be here in half an hour or so."

Bulma turned in a circle, searching her gaze across the meadow. The Saiyan still scared her, but he'd done nothing to hurt anyone since they had gotten to Earth and had even helped out with the Goku issue. She couldn't just leave him to his own devices. Who knew what he would do. Spying the shape of black hair on the edge of the trees, she strolled over, stopped just close enough to be heard. "Hey, Vegeta. You can stay at my place too. I know you don't have anywhere to go. We have food and there is space to train. You just can't hurt anyone." She grinned wide. "Oh, and no touching me. I mean I know I'm irresistible but you have to keep your hands to yourself.

Vegeta snorted and closed his eyes. "Vulgar earth woman."

Her good deed done, Bulma made her way back towards the Nameks.

A tugging on her pant leg drew her attention and she looked down to see a depressed Gohan. "What's the matter, Gohan? Aren't you glad to be back? I'm sure your mother will be happy to see you."

At her words, Gohan's face seemed to grow darker. "I'm not so sure about that, Bulma. During the last year or so I've only seen Mom for the little bit when Daddy and I were in the hospital, then I got to go home while Daddy stayed there. Mom wasn't the Mom I remembered. She got mean and would hit me a lot. She'd call me filth with disgusting alien blood." The boy choked back a sob that was forming. "I don't want to go back Auntie Bulma. Can't I stay with you? Mom doesn't let me do anything but study until my mind is numb and I can't sit still."

He looked down and his feet and traced some lines in the dirt. Looking up at her he pleaded. "Please? I didn't even know my Daddy had family until the trip to Namek. I wondered why your parents were hugging and squeezing me so much before we left. Then you told me how they had adopted my Daddy after you found him. I didn't know I had a grandma and grandpa. I want to stay with them. It's like Mom wants to get rid of everything that makes Daddy who he is."

 _'Boy, I think he's reading to much into things. I guess I'll have to humor him for a while. He'll see that everything isn't as bad as he thinks in a bit.'_ Bulma gave the boy's small shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sure it's not that bad. We'll talk to your mother and I bet she'll let you come visit regularly."

Gohan frowned. "I don't know." But he didn't say anything more and sat down to wait for the coming aircraft.

Soon a distant hum was heard and Bulma jumped up from her seat. "That will be my Dad."

A large, yellow transport aircraft came into view. The Capsule Corporation logo decorating it's side. Everyone stood back as the large ship settled to the ground and the back began to open.

Rushing out of the plane before the ramp was barely down, a black haired woman in traditional garb bellowed one name, "Gohan!"

Said child started trembling at the sound of the voice. He knew what was coming and he really didn't want to face her. He'd much rather face Frieza again. All he could do was hope that she had changed some since he last saw her. _'Please, please, let Mom not be the mean person she was after the battle with the Saiyans.'_ Memories of the pain she had inflicted upon him for his disobedience in not returning to her as soon his father's battle with his uncle was over flashed through his head.

Upon seeing her son, Chi-chi swiftly steamed over and grabbed him by the ear, practically hauling him fully off the ground by it. Quickly looking she looked the boy over and noticing the muscles bulging under his baby fat, her face turned livid in rage.

"He's turned into a thug! I mean just look at him! Normal little 5 year old boys don't look like this! He's supposed to be soft and pudgy, not look like some steroid fueled freak! I won't have it! My baby is going to be a normal, shy scholar!" Chi-chi screeched to the world.

Everyone looked on in bewilderment at the outburst. Piccolo glared at the woman, fists clenching in anger at the treatment of his student. Not really knowing human customs, he internally debated on interfering with the boy's mother.

Finally, Bulma spoke in defense of the boy, the nephew that she'd grown extremely fond of over the trip. "Normal boys run around, play, and have fun. Normal 5 year olds aren't doing senior year physics. What you've been forcing him to do isn't anywhere near normal. He's had fun learning martial arts and having adventures. I'd say he's a perfectly normal little boy."

Fuming, Bulma crossed her arms and stared at the woman. _'Damn. I guess Gohan was right. Hopefully this is as bad as she gets.'_

Chi-chi glared at the blue haired woman before continuing her screaming rant. "Are you saying I don't know how to raise my child? I don't see you with any children, so you have no right to say anything about how I raise my son! No more martial arts! No more fighting aliens or having adventures! Just a normal life of books and more books! Bowing down to his mother's will. That is how a proper child should be raised!"

Bulma stared dumbfounded at the insane woman before her. "Hey!" she shouted, "I don't have to have a child to know that what you're doing to him is wrong! Everyone can see it!"

Chi-chi ignored her and continued on with her rant, punctuating each sentence with a smack to Gohan's free ear. "Oh, that husband of mine! I would never have married him if I knew he was some sort of alien freak! I will **not** have **my** son be one, too, I'll beat it out of him until he has no will or thoughts other than his studies! The only thing he should ever think about is his books! That's it! Bars on his bedroom window and he will be locked in until it's time to send him off to university! He'll study day and night! Only short breaks for sleep and meals, he doesn't need anything else! I **will** mold him into what I want! Then after he graduates as a great scholar, he can get a high paying job and I'll live like queen I was destined to be!"

 _'What the hell?'_ thought Bulma. _'What type of woman did Goku marry? She didn't seem like this at the tournament. Why would he stay with her if all she wanted was to mentally and physically abuse their child?'_

Straightening to full height, Bulma started moving to intervene in the abused being rained down upon the boy. Steps away she was abruptly brushed aside and Chi-chi was hauled into the air by her throat. Confusion brushed over her mind as she recognized the form of the Saiyan Prince holding the woman away from the child. Anger and killing intent radiated from his very being.

Vegeta could feel the rage growing inside him as he held the woman by her fragile neck. "How dare you!" he hissed. "This boy is of Saiyan blood, even if he is a mongrel half-breed! He deserves to be treated with respect by you pitiful humans. His potential is far beyond what you weaklings could ever hope to accomplish, and you want to kill it and force him to be some lap dog that's less than human." He shook the woman like a rag doll.

A glance at the quivering child on the ground fueled his anger higher. No Saiyan would ever grovel on the ground again if he had any say in it. "You're wanting to do worse to him than Frieza did to me! To kill his spirit and drive him out of his mind! Saiyans MUST fight! It's torture to prevent it!"

Gohan scrambled to his feet, tears streaked down his face from the previous pain. In a stuttering voice he spoke, "Please, she's my mom." His voice dropped to a whisper, "Please don't kill her."

Disgusted, Vegeta tossed the woman to the ground several feet from them. He still snarled with rage. "I won't allow it! He's the closest to kin I have. He shall learn of his heritage and how to harness it. I'll make him into a true warrior," he spat. Then in one swift movement, and with a surprised gasp from Gohan, he hauled the child over his shoulder and flew off into the distance at great speed.

Giving a low growl, Piccolo concentrated for a moment. Feeling for the chi of the departing Saiyans he then launched himself after them.

Chi-chi's ragged gasps for air were the only sound to pierce the air for a few moments as her lungs sought oxygen.

Bulma turned to her with fire in her eyes, and paused only a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking. "See! You're a horrible mother when even a psychotic alien monkey with a great dislike for Gohan can't even stand to see how you treat him."

 _'I sure hope Gohan will be alright.'_ Then she turned on her heel with a huff and marched into the waiting transport, calling for the Namekians to join her so that they might make their way to her home and their temporary living quarters.

Glancing at each other over the scene that they had just witnessed, the aliens made their way onto the aircraft, being careful to give the gasping black haired woman a great deal of space.


	2. Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 **Chapter two: Beginnings**

Mountains and valleys passed by at rapid speed beneath the Saiyan prince as he put distance between him and hopefully any interference. He did not know what snapped in him, or why he took the boy. All he had been able to see for a moment when the woman grabbed her child and started dealing out her torment was his own childhood as Frieza's slave. He had been the same age, torn from his family, people, and planet. A flash of anger burned at the thought of his own father for just handing him over to the tyrant. _'He didn't even try and fight to keep me! No one ever stepped forward to still the blows that were rained down on me as punishment for being a Saiyan. Raditz was in the same situation, and Nappa was to concerned with keeping his own hide unmarred.'_

Coming to a sudden halt mid-air, Vegeta dropped into a secluded clearing and dumped the tearful child roughly to the ground. The boy hadn't struggled at all in his grip during the trip, just hung there quietly crying. "Stop your sniveling you little brat! You're a Saiyan, you better start learning to act like one!"

Gohan just sat up and pulled in his knees and tucked his head into them, silently wishing for everything to go back to how it was before his uncle came. Back when his mom was nice and gentle with him. He remembered back to the hospital after the fight with the two Saiyans, his parents arguing. His father's soft voice trying to reason with his outraged mother. His mother turning red and screaming. _"You're an alien? An alien! I knew something was wrong and you weren't right, and now I learn that you are some sort of monster! I can't believe I gave birth to a monster's spawn. Well I won't have it. I'll remove it from him, bleed it out, remove any of your alien urges to fight!"_ That was when his life had changed. That time waiting to leave for Namek was a horror to him. Book after book set before him. Forced learning in every waking moment, punctuated by his mother's **lessons** in how to not be an alien. Lessons that consisted of her hitting him with whatever object she had and forcing him to repeat, "I am not an alien. I am human. I don't like to fight, only study."

As Gohan sat there in his own thoughts, Vegeta grew irritated and restless at being ignored. Striking out, he sent the child sprawling. "I said stop the crying. I never want to see crying again or you'll regret it."

Gohan staggered to his feet and spoke in an uneven voice. "But my.. mom.."

With a snarl, Vegeta was in front of him grasping him by the front of his shirt. Lifting the boy off the ground he gave him a couple shakes. "I said stop! Look at you crying over a few blows. That's nothing compared to the beatings I received at Frieza's hand thanks to **my** father."

He lifted his free hand to strike Gohan but was was stopped in mid swing by a green clawed hand. "Get you're filthy hand off me, Namek! You're interfering with Saiyan matters!"

Piccolo just tightened his grip. "Let the boy go. He doesn't need to go from one abusive situation into another. Just because **you** have daddy issues, doesn't mean Gohan needs it taken out on him."

Pure rage filled Vegeta as he dropped Gohan and swung his fist at Piccolo's face. "No one talks about my father! You know nothing about what I went through!"

Piccolo released the arm he was holding and dodged the swing. He scowled at the Saiyan Prince. "You shouldn't even be here. There is nothing in you that is redeemable. I'll gladly send you back to hell. I'm sure there is plenty of judgement waiting for you and your actions."

Fear fleetingly swept over Vegeta's face as he froze. Flashbacks to the red ogre and his books swept through his mind. _' "Get some black in your ledger before we meet again..." '_ He shuddered at the thought. He'd been willing to except his known fate at the time, but knowing he could reduce the punishment, maybe change it, made him pause.

Taking advantage of the mental distraction that Vegeta seemed to have, Piccolo slammed his fist into his stomach, causing the Saiyan to double over.

Glaring up from his hunched position, Vegeta growled. "How dare you judge me! You know nothing about me."

Grunting he pulled himself upright. Arms dropping to his sides, he stared hatefully at the Namekian warrior. "I have no interest in going back there again. Not for a long while, but..." Vegeta trailed off looking away as if trying to find words. Piccolo paused in his battle stance and waited.

Staring at the grass blades at his feet, Vegeta spoke in a low voice that the Namek was only able to pick up because of his superior hearing. "The demon judge. He spoke as I was torn back to Namek and my body. He spoke of black in the ledger lessening my sentence, but I don't know how."

Piccolo relaxed fully and turned away from the Saiyan. "I was once like you. Angry and full of hate. All I wanted to do was kill and take over the world. Now I find myself protecting and actually caring for another."

Vegeta's head snapped up to stare at the proud warrior at those words. "How. How did you change?"

Piccolo sighed and came to a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret. Slowly he started lifting off the ground. Ignoring the Princes question, he spoke. "Treat the boy with as much kindness as you can. If I find out you've harmed him, I'll personally send you back to hell." With that the Namekian shot off into the distance.

Vegeta stared after him for several long minutes. _'I'm a fool. Showing my weakness in front of my enemies.'_

Sighing in resignation, he turned towards the child staring up at him in fear. "You, boy, Gohan, get up. We must find some food before dark." He grabbed the child by the chin to force him to look in his eyes. "Where is the warrior that fought with me against Freeze on Namek? Quit cowering like a weakling. I'm not going to harm you. Now hurry up."

Vegeta took to the air and waited as the child rose after him. "And no crying, you're not an infant. You'll scare off the game." With that he lifted higher and scanned the surroundings for animal movements.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The transport ride back to Capsule Corp had been fairly quiet and uneventful. Small whispering amonst the Nameks and the rumbling of the planes engines. Everyone was giving a wide berth around the angry black haired woman seated near the door. Bulma had escaped to sit in the cockpit with her father.

After landing, Bulma and her father had spent the last hour showing the Nameks around the compound grounds and to where they could sleep. Bulma smiled at the scene of her mother trying to get the Nameks to try some of her cookies. She'd tried several times to explain to the older woman that they only drank water and didn't eat food.

A loud screeching voice erased the smile from her face.

"You! Goku's **friend**. Where did you hide him?! Where is my boy?" Chi-Chi stomped up to the blue haired scientist.

With an exasperated sigh, Bulma pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look lady. You may be Goku's wife but that doesn't give you any clout around here. I don't know where Prince Psycho took your son. You were there. He didn't say where he was going."

Chi-Chi stood fuming with her arms crossed. "Don't give me that. I heard you invite that alien creep back here. I know you have to be hiding them somewhere. Don't make me get my daddy over here. He'll show you a thing or two."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure the Ox King is a lot saner than you and will understand what I keep saying. Gohan. Is. Not. Here. Even when Piccolo showed up a while ago, all he had to say was that the boy was with Mr Monkey Prince. How hard is this to understand?"

With a huff, Chi-Chi turned around and started to storm off. "Don't think this is over! I'll be back and you better have my son!"

Bulma let out a frustrated scream. _'Damn that woman is a pig headed moron,'_ she thought.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta and Gohan sat on opposite sides of the small campfire waiting for the meat to cook. After a short search, Vegeta had spotted a saber toothed cat which had the misfortune of becoming their meal.

Vegeta sat poking at the fire with a stick as Gohan kept glancing at him nervously. Irritated the Prince glared at him. "Stop that, brat! If you have something to say, say it."

Gohan nervously poked his index fingers together, looking up at his current kidnapper. "Um...I was wondering if I could go home. Well at least to Bulma's house."

"No." Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the boy.

The child's face fell into a look of sorrow and he looked down at his hands.

Sighing, Vegeta rolled his eyes. "You better not start acting like a mewling cub again or I'm going to blast you."

He shifted his legs and got into a more comfortable position. "Boy, if you go there now, that screeching harpy you call a mother will get her talons back into you."

Looking into the glowing embers of the campfire, Vegeta contemplated his words. "Besides, you need training. You're a disgrace to your Saiyan blood. You're pitifully weak and under trained."

Gohan stiffed and looked up with a frown. "Mr Piccolo trained me really well."

Laughter echoed through the small camp. Vegeta stared at the boy in mirth. "Really. You think the Namek could produce a well trained Saiyan child? He has no idea what you could do if taught proper Saiyan skills."

Still snorting in amusement, Vegeta checked the cooking meat. Finding it done enough, he ripped off a leg and tossed it to the glaring child. "Here. Eat. Then get some sleep. I'll be waking you early." He ripped off another leg and began tearing off bites of meat.

Looking across the fire, Vegeta shook his finger at the boy. "Brat, you better not even think about running off. I'm a very light sleeper and I will know. You won't like the punishment."

The rest of the meal was spent in silence only marred by the sounds of two Saiyans eating.

Tossing a bone over his shoulder, Gohan stood up from his meal and made his way towards a tree. Curling up against a large root he closed his eyes and attempted to sleep.

Vegeta sat staring at the flames. _'What the hell am I doing? I'm stuck on this underdeveloped mud ball for who knows how long and now I've taken the last vestige of my race to train."_ He glanced over at the huddled form under the tree. Even breaths informed him the child had finally fallen asleep. _'That boy doesn't know how lucky he is. He should feel honored to be taught by the Saiyan Prince. I'll see to it that he learns some respect.'_

The quiet chattering of teeth brought the Prince out of his thoughts. Vegeta rose to his feet and padded over to the child. Looking down on the boy, he let out a heavy sigh. The night was getting quite chilly. _'Stupid whelp. He should know to sleep near a fire or against someone for heat. It's one of the first things every warrior is taught.'_

Vegeta sat and leaned against the base of the tree, finding a comfortable position. Reaching out he grabbed the boy and pulled him up against his side. As the child's shivering slowly ceased, the Prince found himself drifting off into sleep.


	3. Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

*this is going up early just for someone who felt I was holding out after he heard I had it ready for posting*

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **Chapter 3: Nightmares**

 _Pain shuddered through him as the tail tightened it's hold on his neck. Struggling he fought it for breath. Squeezing. Clenching. Tighter and tighter. The sharp tip grazing across his brow. "What's wrong little monkey?" The voice of Frieza lanced through his soul. "Such a worthless monkey prince. No home. No people. No one cares." Laughter cackled from the lips of the tyrant, echoing in the prince's mind._

With a jolt, Vegeta sat straight up, breathing heavily. Vestiges of the nightmare still clinging to his mind. He roughly rubbed his hand over his face to fully wake himself. _'Damn. Looks like Frieza has managed to add another nightmare to the repertoire."_

He stiffly pulled himself to his feet and stretched. The waxing light declared the approaching dawn. Looking around he noted that the fire had died to ash. No matter. Breakfast could be cooked with chi or eaten raw.

Turning towards the still slumbering boy, Vegeta nudged the unconscious form with his foot. "Brat. Wake up."

Gohan let out a groan and without waking, rolled over. A harder shove with the foot yielded the same result. Growing irritated, Vegeta reached down and grabbed an ankle. Hauling the child up in front of him he shook the boy and yelled, "I said wake up you little shit!"

Gohan jerked awake at the yell. He looked up with terror in his eyes at the person who held him. "V-vegeta!" Instinct kicked in and he swung his free leg around as hard as he could, connecting with the Saiyan's cheek.

With the unexpected attack, Vegeta released the ankle he was holding and brought his hands up to defend against another blow. "You little brat!"

Gohan dropped to the ground in a crouch, then quickly jumped back from the Prince. Caution and fear flashed across his face. He glanced about, looking for the best escape route. He knew he couldn't take the Saiyan on his own.

The snarling Prince took a step towards him and Gohan acted, feinting to the right as if to attack. Vegeta prepared to counter the move and Gohan took his chance, launching himself straight up, then to the left. Flying at his fastest speed, the boy didn't dare look behind him. He could sense Vegeta's chi and it was catching up with every moment that passed. Gohan swooped down into the forest, dodging tree trunks and branches, looking for someplace to hide. All he needed was a hole big enough to cover him. _'If I can just find something. As soon as I'm out of sight I can suppress my chi and he'll never find me.'_

Up ahead to his right, an ancient tree had fallen sometime in the past. A deep hollow formed under it's twisted roots, the natural shelter having been enlarged by many an animal in the past.

Seeing his salvation, Gohan darted towards it, then inside. Suppressing his chi as far down as possible, he crouched as far back as he could. Apprehension filled him. He had no idea what Vegeta wanted from him, but the boy knew that the Saiyan was not going to be happy now.

Moments later Vegeta blasted into the break in the trees where he'd last felt Gohan's chi. "Come out of hiding, Brat! I know you're here! Don't make me flatten this place to find you!"

Vegeta scanned the area carefully, looking for any child sized hidey hole. Spying the uprooted tree with it's looming darkness underneath, he landed. The light breeze blowing through the forest shifted a touch and he flared his nostrils, taking in the scent brought to him. He turned and purposefully strode off in a different direction, suppressing his own chi.

Huddled in his earthy hollow, Gohan waited for what seemed like hours. The sounds of the forest had resumed so he slowly made his way out from under the old tree's roots. ' _I wonder if I can make it to Mr Piccolo if I'm sneaky?'_

Standing up he stretched out his cramped muscles. He let out a shriek as his uplifted arms were grabbed from behind. He was hauled upwards then twisted around to come face to face with an angry Saiyan Prince.

"You didn't really think you could hide from me did you? Your scent gave you away foolish boy." Vegeta gave the child an evil grin.

He released Gohan, letting him fall to the ground. The child scrambled to his feet, eyes wide in fear. Vegeta dropped to the ground in front of him, noticing how the boy flinched and dropped head, almost but not quite cowering. Vegeta frowned at the sight. _'That will not do. What the hell is wrong with him.'_

He raised his hand and the boy flinched again. Vegeta stared at him for a few moments, contemplating. "Listen good, whelp. You're going to do exactly what I say, when I say it. You will only address me as Prince Vegeta or my Prince. You will never speak out against me. You will never raise your voice to me." He scowled down at the boy in front of him and stepped closer as the child started to shake.

Grabbing Gohan by the front of his shirt he jerked him up to eye level. "You're a pitifully weak stain on the Saiyan blood. You're lucky I don't kill you right now."

He tossed the child to the ground. "Go back to cowering in the dirt. That seems to be all you're good at." Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the crumpled form before him. "I shouldn't have expected anymore from the spawn of a third class moron. Obviously you inherited nothing good from your father."

Gohan had ceased shaking and now was just laying there. Vegeta took note of the rising chi and prodded deeper. "You're father was an idiot. Kakarot was a coward and a fool. You should be glad his taint is removed from this universe."

A snarl tore from Gohan's lips as he launched himself at Vegeta, punching and kicking. "My father was a good man!"

Vegeta deflected as many blows as he could from the enraged halfbreed. He'd been expecting this. He'd seen in battle how strong the boy could be if angered. That power needed harnessed, but that could wait until later. He was fixing another problem at the moment.

Countering a punch with a powerful swing of his own, Vegeta sent Gohan sprawling backwards across the ground. "Good. I'd wondered where the hell that warrior I fought with on Namek went, because he sure as hell wasn't that simpering cub that was here before."

Stepping up in front of the child again, Vegeta braced himself for another attack. "Get up and pull yourself together. You need work and it's going to take a lot of time."

When Gohan didn't attack him again he relaxed and turned. "Hurry up. I'm hungry and still need to catch breakfast. And you better not try running off again."

Gohan scrambled to his feet. "Yes, sir, Mr..err..Prince Vegeta."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned towards the boy. "Call me whatever the hell you want. I don't care. I just needed you out of that depressive funk." With that he took to the air.

Blinking in surprise, Gohan shook his head and took off after him.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Collapsing on the ground at the campsite, Gohan stretched out on his back. He didn't want to move again. Today had been brutal. Vegeta seemed determined to increase his battle experience as fast as he could. Between that and new attack lessons he was sore all over and very tired. He didn't feel like getting up to hunt for dinner even though there was still at least an hour of daylight. All he wanted was to sleep. Closing his eyes he drifted off halfway.

A soft thud of something hitting the ground woke Gohan. He turned his head enough to see Vegeta walking towards the dead tree that was being used bit by bit for the campfire.

Breaking off a few chunks, the Saiyan took them to the firepit and blasted them alight. He picked up the branch that had been used as a skewer the night before and ran it through the carcass he'd dropped, then placed it across the fire to start cooking.

The Prince walked towards the child and leaned against a nearby tree. "Alright boy, it's time for your first lesson while that is cooking."

Gohan groaned at the thought of more fighting. His muscles needed rest.

A sneer of annoyance crossed Vegeta's face. "You can lay there, but you will do this lesson. You're ignorant of your heritage. So I will teach you and you **will** learn. I'll be questioning you on it tomorrow and you won't like the repercussions if you failed to learn."

The boy groaned again, but sat up and faced the Saiyan to listen.

Vegeta nodded in satisfaction and began. "First we'll start with language. Some of this is much easier to learn in our ancestral tongue."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

"NO! Please Mom don't!"

The scream woke Vegeta with a jolt. He shot to his feet looking around for whatever was attacking. He turned to the shrieking child to demand what happened and noticed the boy was actually still asleep and thrashing about. _'Brat's having a nightmare.'_

Relaxing his stance, Vegeta leaned down and took the child's shoulder and shook him roughly. "Wake up! Wake up!"

Gohan jerked away, eyes wide and unseeing. Vegeta shook him again. "It's done boy. It was a nightmare."

Wild eyes looked at him and then Gohan took a shuddering breath and began to sob. "S-she was hurting me again. Saying all sorts of bad things."

Rolling his eyes, Vegeta hauled the child up in front of him. "Don't you start this shit again. You're a Saiyan warrior. Act like it."

Gohan just hung there crying. "But she's my mom. She should know everything about me. If she says there is something wrong with me there must be."

Vegeta's glare softened. "She does know you kid. That's how she got in your head and broke you. And you let her because she's your mother and you trusted her. She broke that trust."

With a heavy sigh Vegeta laid back down against the tree, bringing the sobbing child to lay against his side again. "The nightmares may always haunt you. I know mine do. To my father I was always a pawn, an object to be used as needed. I thought that because he was my father that he would protect me. Then he gave me to that bastard Frieza without so much as a second thought. And Frieza was the master of torture, mental and physical. Those scars will never go away. Can hope that the scars your mother has given you will eventually leave."

Vegeta looked down at the boy and laid a cautious hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. He'd never been one for comforting another as he'd never received it himself, other than Raditz and him as children in mutual pain. He knew this boy was soft, though, and needed something. "I've seen your father in battle. **HE** at least tries to protect you. Quit dwelling on your mother and think of him instead."

Vegeta laid his head back and closed his eyes. "I know **I** think about your father, well beating the shit out of him for becoming the Super Saiyan when it should have been me. Now go back to sleep."

With a few final hitching breaths, Gohan laid back down and tried to bring up all the good memories of his father. Eventually he drifted back to sleep with a smile on his face.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

"It's about damn time that woman left!" Bulma was fuming. Dealing with Chi-Chi for the last two days had been horrid. The woman never shut up and was to bossy.

Turning the blue haired woman looked at the blonde beside her in exasperation. "Mom, I don't even know why you let her stay here at all."

Smiling cheerfully at her daughter the elder Briefs woman replied. "She's our dear little Goku's wife. Of course I had to let her stay."

Bulma scowled at her mother. "She's treated him and Gohan like shit. She doesn't deserve to be here, especially after what I saw her do to Gohan."

"Is little Gohan ok? He's such a sweet boy, I don't see how anyone could be mean to him." Mrs Briefs frowned, trying to understand the concept.

Bulma let out a snort. "That woman has something against aliens. Apparently this started when we found out Goku was a Saiyan. Gohan said she'd been very mean to him after the fight against Vegeta and Nappa. Then when we got wished back to Earth, she was berating the poor child while hitting him."

The older woman gasped. "Oh no! Is poor Gohan alright?"

Bulma shrugged. "I don't know. Apparently she pissed off Vegeta's Saiyan pride or something with how she was treating the boy and he kidnapped Gohan from her."

When the look of worry crossed her mother's face, Bulma sighed. "Look, I think Gohan will be fine. Piccolo did confront Vegeta and still left the boy with him. I had invited Vegeta to stay here to try and give him someplace to sleep and hopefully keep him from destroying the planet so maybe they will show up here soon."

Mrs Briefs smiled. "Well then. I should start cooking. I can stockpile some cookies and other goodies for when that grandson of mine gets here. Oh, I should make some extra for that nice man who rescued him from his mother." With that the woman bounced off towards the kitchen.

Bulma rolled her eyes at her mothers swift mood change. _'Leave it to her to not be worried now about a murdering alien having a 5 year old boy in his clutches.'_


	4. Capsule Corp

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **Chapter 4: Capsule Corp**

Pink hints of dawn gleamed in the sky as Vegeta opened his eyes. He glanced at his side where the child was curled against him, gripping the edge of his armor for security. There had been no nightmares last night for either of them.

Vegeta laid his hand carefully on the boy's head, being sure not to wake him. A half smile formed on the Prince's face. _'Such amazing potential.'_ He looked back up at the sky. _'It's rather nice to be with another Saiyan again. I almost miss Raditz. We went through all sorts of shit together from the time we were kids. Where ever he is in hell, he should be glad that his nephew will never know the horror of living under Frieza.'_

Extracting himself from the child's grip, Vegeta stood and stretched. Dark clouds gathering on the western horizon promised rain. He frowned. They'd been camping in the open the last few days while he'd began evaluating the Saiyan child. It looked like that was about to come to an end. He looked down at the sleeping boy and snorted. _'Feh. I'm getting soft. It's just nice to be out from Frieza's shackles finally.'_ He stared intently at the child for a while. _'So this is the future of our race. Reduced to half breeds or less, even if the mix with humans creates such powerful hybrids. I guess Nappa was right and it needs to be taken advantage of. It's just amazing Saiyans are genetically compatible with humans. There must be some common lineage somewhere in ancient history.'_

With a sigh the Prince reached down and shook the boy's shoulder. "Get up. Time for training."

A groan answered him, but the child sat up rubbing his eyes.

Looking away, Vegeta stared out over the trees. "Come on. Let's fill our stomachs and get started."

Gohan stood and stretched sore muscles before taking to the air with the Saiyan.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

A leg slamming into his back sent Gohan tumbling through the sky. They'd been at battle for a few hours now. He'd been trying to keep up with Vegeta, but he was reaching his limit.

The Saiyan sneered at the exhausted child. "Defend yourself whelp. Whomever taught you how to dodge did a really poor job of it."

Gohan blushed hotly and redoubled his efforts to avoid blows from the Prince. _'I'm letting Mr Piccolo down. He'd be ashamed of me.'_

A well placed blast of chi sent Gohan crashing into the ground. Weary, he struggled to lift his head and pull himself from the crater that had formed with his impact. His tormentor scowled down at him. "Get up brat. We aren't done yet."

Panting, Gohan staggered to his feet and pulled himself into a defensive stance. He didn't know how much more he could take. _'Mr Piccolo never was this bad. He only pushed me as far as I could take. Vegeta is trying to kill me slowly.'_

Taking a deep breath, he tensed and charged the Saiyan Prince. Fists flailing wildly and missed their target completely. Gohan knew he was getting sloppy with his fatigue. _'He's going to make me pay for this good. Probably finish me off for good this time.'_

The return attack slid easily past Gohan's defenses to land squarely in his gut. He doubled over with a grunt and fell from the sky. He curled up where he landed, cradling his aching stomach. Feet touched down nearby and stepped up to him. He stared at the pointed boots, bracing himself for whatever came next.

Vegeta stared down at the boy. _'It's taken a few days of careful attacks but we've found his physical limit. Now his real training can begin.'_ A wry grin slipped on to the Saiyan's face. "Well done boy. You've taken much more than I was expecting. I'll make an elite warrior out of you yet."

Gohan lay there stunned at the words. "Y-you mean you're not going to kill me?" He gasped out. "I thought that's what you were trying to do. Every day it's been getting worse."

Vegeta gave a snort of derision. "I told you I was going to train you. Where the hell did you get the idea I was trying to kill you?"

The child flushed red and curled into a tight ball to hide his face. A muffled reply came from near his knees. "You've been beating me senseless the last few day. I just thought..."

Another snort was the Prince's thoughts on that. "You should never make assumptions. I needed to know how much you could take. Remember, Gohan, you're a Saiyan. We get a Zenkai with each fight. That which does not kill us makes us even stronger."

Hidden eyes widened as realization flooded into Gohan's brain. _'He called me by my name. Not boy. Not brat. Not whelp. I guess maybe he likes me enough now for me to have a name.'_ The thought comforted the boy and his eyes became heavy as his fatigue pulled him into sleep.

"Unn...huh...zenkai..." came a tired voice. Vegeta looked down at the boy to see him drifting out of consciousness.

Fat splashes of rain began to fall and the Prince scowled at the clouds. He was not in the mood to spend any time out in the weather. Swiftly he reached down and slid an arm under the chest of the sleeping boy, pulling him up to hang in his grip. _'Hn. That blue haired woman said she had a place for me to stay. I'll go there. Now just where IS there?'_

Searching out with his mind, Vegeta felt for the chi of a certain Namekian warrior. _'There. He is either at the woman's place, or will know where it is.'_

With that thought, Vegeta took to the sky.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

As Vegeta drew near Piccolo's strong chi, a large complex of domed structures came into view. Soon he could see many green humanoids wandering around the grounds. _'Looks like I'm here.'_

Vegeta dropped out of the sky near the largest domed building startling the Nameks who had been mingling in the yard. He sneered at their stares and looks of distrust.

A startled shriek made him jerk his head to the right to find the source. It was the blue haired woman that he was looking for. He turned and started moving towards her.

Rushing up, Bulma had a look of fear and fury on her face. She reached out to grab the unconscious boy from where he hung limp from Vegeta's arm. "Oh, no! Gohan!"

She cradled the child to her then turned her wrath on the Saiyan. "What kind of monster are you! He's just a little boy!"

Vegeta stiffened and glared at her in annoyance. "What the hell woman. The boy's fine. How your screeching hasn't woken him is a wonder."

Bulma paused in her tirade to look down in confusion at the child she held. He was stirring a little against her chest and mumbling. "...tired...no more...yum...food.."

Bulma looked back up at the Prince with an embarrassed look. "Um. I'm sorry, I jumped to conclusions." She turned towards the house. She gave a sniff. "But it's not like you've given me any reason to assume different."

Vegeta let out a low growl. "You make to many assumptions about me earth woman."

Looking over her shoulder, Bulma gave him a glare. "I said I was sorry. Get over yourself. Now come on and I'll show you to a shower. You stink. Then we can find a room for you."

As she stormed off into the building, Vegeta crossed his arms and, giving a last glare at the gawking Namekians, followed.

Stepping through the doorway after Bulma, the Prince found himself in a small hall that branched opened to a kitchen on the right hand side. Ignoring that opening, Bulma led him down the corridor and stopped at the far end. She nodded her head at the door on the left. "These are a few guest bedrooms. You can have this one. The bathroom is right across the hall here. Just leave your clothes in there. I'll find something for you to wear and leave it in the room."

"Now I'm going to put poor Gohan to bed. He looks like you've put him through the wringer." She turned and started back down the hall, leaving the Saiyan Prince to stare after her.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta stepped into the room now marked as his, gripping a towel tightly around his waist. The shower had done much to relax him and wash off the grime of two planets that he'd accumulated over the last few weeks. _'I could get used to regular bathing. Water was always restricted on the ships and most of the planets, but this mudball is one of those rare ones with a ton of it.'_

Closing the door he glanced around the sparsely decorated room. Bed, desk and chair to one wall. Dresser and door to what he assumed was a closet on two others. A large window covered most of the fourth. _'Not bad. Much more space than I'm used to.'_

On the bed sat folded garments of some sort and his boots lay on the floor with socks spread across the tops. Picking up the clothing he found it to be thick loose pants and a shirt of some sort. Grimacing at the unfamiliar fabrics, he dressed quickly.

Slipping out of the room, Vegeta shut the door behind him. The scent of food being prepared drifted down the hall, drawing his attention and his stomach growled in anticipation. He followed his nose down and into the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen he was greeted with the sight of an older blonde woman, cheerfully humming to herself as she cooked. After a moment she seemed to notice her audience. "Hello there dear! You must be the nice man who was taking care of our Gohan."

Adjusting the stove, she stepped away from her cooking for a moment and circled around the now wary Prince. "Oh my, aren't you a handsome one."

She patted him on the arm in a friendly manner and he stiffened. "Oh where are my manners? I'm Mrs Briefs, but you can call me Panchy. Go sit at the table and I'll have some food ready in a few moments. I hear you eat like our Goku, so I made sure to fix plenty. I know our little Gohan will want some when he wakes up, too."

She swiftly maneuvered him into a chair and brought him a drink. "Here you go, dear. So what is your name again sweetie?"

"Vegeta." The Prince stared at the strange woman who scurried back to her cooking, all the while chatting up a storm.

Panchy slid a plate in front of the Saiyan. "Well Vegeta dear, here's something to start with. I'll have more for you in a moment."

Vegeta cautiously poked the food in front of him. The smell was making his mouth water. He looked up at the blonde woman again. _'I don't think they would poison me.'_

He took a small bite and his hunger over took him with the delicious taste. "Woman. I need more."

With a smile she brought over several dishes to the table. "So did you like it?"

Digging into the next plate, Vegeta let out a grunt. "Hn. It is adequate. I shall require much more than this though." He gestured to the plates in front of him.

Smiling even brighter, Panchy went to get more. "I can always tell when my food is appreciated and you have such a healthy appetite."

As he ate, Vegeta watched the blonde woman scurry about on her kitchen duties, constantly chattering about anything and everything that came to her mind. _'This earth woman is a strange one. Her food is good, though. I'll make sure to keep her alive if I need to destroy this planet. Cooks of her caliber are rare.'_

The sound of shuffling feet and a yawn drew attention to the main entrance to the kitchen. Gohan stood there with dripping hair, dressed in sweats. He'd obviously come from a rushed bath. "I smelled food. Can I have some?"

Mrs Briefs grinned at the boy. "Of course, Gohan dear. Just sit down and I'll get you some."

Gohan slid into a seat at the table opposite of Vegeta. His belly rumbled at the sight of the food before the Prince. He reached out to grab a roll from one of the plates, only to have his hand grabbed. He looked up into Vegeta's narrowed eyes. "What do you think you're doing brat?"

Gohan let out a sigh and pulled his hand back. _'Well guess I'm back to no name.'_

His stomach rumbled again just as plates were slid in front of him by the blonde haired woman. "Now Gohan, where are your manners. There is no need to steal Mr Vegeta's food. I have plenty for you to eat," she chided him.

The boy looked down embarrassed, then hunger got the best of him and he dove into the food in front of him.

After finishing eating, Vegeta sat watching Gohan eat for a moment then turned to Mrs Briefs. "Blonde woman. You look nothing like the boy's harpy mother. How can she be your daughter?"

Turning, Panchy had a confused look on her face. "His mother? I'm not related to his mother."

Vegeta huffed and gestured to the boy. "He said you were his grandmother. His mother was an earthling."

Comprehension flashed across the older woman's face. "OH! No dear. You don't understand. We adopted cute little Goku when he was 12. Bulma found him up in the mountains all alone after his grandfather died. The orphanage people were going to try and take him away and we couldn't have that. So we made him part of our family. That boy would go off on adventures the same as our daughter, but they always come back home."

She gave a depressed sigh. "Only I don't know what happened. After Goku got married at the tournament, he didn't come back. We didn't even know we had a grandson until a year ago."

A new voice spoke from the doorway. "I'll tell you what happened. Chi-Chi got her claws in Goku and wanted nothing to do with his family. That woman tricked him into agreeing to marry her when he was a kid and you know how Goku is. He keeps his word. Even though he thought marriage was food."

Bulma walked fully into the kitchen, stopped behind Gohan and ruffled his hair. "This little squirt is the only good thing to come out of that. I got to know him pretty well on our way to Namek and he's a good kid."

Gohan blushed at the praise. "Aww, Bulma."

She smiled down at him. "Now hurry up and finish eating. We need to go clothes shopping for you."

All happiness vanished from the child to be replaced with dread. "Um, I umm...can't. Yeah, that's it. Umm. Vegeta is training me this afternoon."

Bulma scowled at Vegeta who had a confused look on his face. "Can't you leave the poor boy alone for one after afternoon? You've had him for the last several days and brought him back to us half dead. He needs a break."

Vegeta crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze at the woman across from him. Opening his mouth to speak he was interrupted by Mrs Briefs cheerful voice. "Nonsense dear! Let the boys go play. I'll just get their measurements and go get them some clothes myself."

"Are you insane?" Bulma glared at her mother.

The woman just gave her ever present smile. "Of course not dear."

Turning to the two males, she spoke. "Gohan go watch the TV while I take Mr Vegeta here to the sewing room and measure him."

"OK!" Gohan let out a huge sigh for relief and dashed out of the kitchen.

Bulma just flung her hands in the air before storming off. "Fine. Whatever."

Panchy took ahold of Vegeta's arm and tugged, ignoring his growl. "Come on handsome. Let's get this done so we can get you better clothes."

Reluctantly, the Prince let her lead him away.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta stormed into the living room with an irritated scowl on his face. Gohan shrunk into his cushioned chair a bit more, hoping to avoid notice. He didn't know what he might have done to irritate the Prince this time, but he'd rather not find out. Vegeta tended to be extra rough and make training extra long when he was mad.

The Saiyan's dark eyes roamed over the boy. "Brat, it's your turn, get in there."

Gohan gave him a blank look. "What?"

A growl rumbled from Vegeta. "I've been poked, prodded, and measured everywhere by that babbling airhead. It's your turn now. I shouldn't be the only one to suffer such indignation."

Comprehension dawned on Gohan's face. "Oh. Is grandma going out to buy us clothes like she said?"

"According to her, yes. I don't know what the hell she needs all those numbers for." Vegeta gave a sneer of disgust.

With a grin, Gohan bounced up from his chair. "I'll go get measured. It's much better than Bulma dragging me to the store to try on clothes. That takes **forever** and there are tons of people and some of them smell really bad."

Gohan giggled at the horrified look on Vegeta's face as he went in search of his grandmother. No doubt the Prince would be very cooperative and quiet next time she wanted his measurements. The boy shuddered. He knew **he** would always be cooperative if it meant he didn't have to go through the horror that was shopping.

Staring off after the boy, Vegeta shook his head. _'The tortures these earthlings think up for themselves. Whatever. I might as well look around the grounds for a good training spot.'_

Stepping outside into the early afternoon sun, Vegeta noticed that all present Nameks fell silent and turned to stare at him. He gave them a sneer and crossing his arms, proceeded to ignore them.

He'd been wandering around about 15 minutes when he came across a large round structure on sturdy legs. A sudden thrill went though him. _'Is that a spaceship? I didn't think these earthlings had that technology. That means I could get off this backwater planet.'_

A smooth masculine voice behind him broke him out of his thoughts. "She's a beauty isn't she? Much better than the one Goku took to Namek. I've even managed to install the latest in cappuccino machines in her."

Turning, Vegeta met the gaze of an older lavender haired man. "Did you build this?"

The old man smiled. "Of course! I reverse engineered Goku's old space pod and just added in my own little tweaks. I even managed to double the power of the gravitron installed in case Goku comes back and wants to use it for training some more."

Now that really caught Vegeta's attention. "What is this gravitron, and how did Kakarot use it for training?"

The man frowned. "Who is this Kakarot?"

Vegeta just waved his hand. "The one you call Goku. His Saiyan name he was born with is Kakarot. Now how did he train?"

"Ah. Interesting on the name." The man twitched his mustache. "Oh, the gravitron increases the gravity in the ship. Goku's ship went up to 100 times Earth's gravity. This one here does up to 200. He said it was great for increasing his strength and speed."

The Saiyan stood there stunned for a moment. _'So that's how Kakarot improved so much. I've never heard of anything like this before. This could be a great advantage to my training.'_

He turned to the scientist. "I wish to use this gravitron."

The old man frowned. "Well now, I'm not sure about that. I usually only work on experimental things for friends and family. I'm sorry lad, but I don't know you."

The Prince scowled at being denied. "I am Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans."

Now the old man seemed interested. "Ah, yes, Vegeta. I've heard about you. You're the one who took our Gohan."

Vegeta gave him a dark look. "I did not harm the boy, no matter what that blue haired woman says. He needs trained and I've been training him."

The lavender haired man stepped back and put his hands up in a placating fashion. "I never said you did. Actually, from the little I've heard, you saved him from some abuse. In thanks for that, I can help you out with the gravitron."

The man gestured towards the ship. "Let me show you how it works."

He stopped for a moment. "Oh, yes, how silly of me. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Dr Briefs. Gohan's grandfather."

Vegeta gave him a nod of acknowledgement and followed him into the ship.


	5. Under Pressure

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*As for the Saiyan language, well it's so useful to converse in a language no one else understands._

 _I made an attempt to get this story moving along to more exciting parts, but it resisted and won the fight. Got to get through these first bits at the new home. Then some things need to happen before the Namek dragon balls are active. After, well, a few surprising things are going to happen._ _*_

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **" word _"_** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 5: Under Pressure**

Gohan was standing very still as his grandmother measured his legs and feet. Standing up the older woman looked at the child. "Ok. Now I need you to take off that bulky shirt so I can get an accurate measurement around your chest."

Reluctantly the boy grabbed the hem of the shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing the numerous cuts and bruises he'd sustained. A startled gasp came from the woman in front of him.

Reaching out a hand, Mrs Briefs gently ran it over one of the large bruises on the child's ribs. "Oh my."

Gohan squirmed at the touch. "It's nothing Grandma. Frieza tried to kill me, but I'm ok now."

Eyeing the boy critically, she gave a nod and resumed her measuring.

The last number had just been written on the paper when Bulma came searching for her mother and walked into the room. "Hey Mom, I was wond...Gohan! Are you alright?"

Bulma was livid as she stepped up to the boy and eyed all the marks on him. Some of them were still fresh, as evidenced by their weeping. "What kind of monster is that Saiyan? He said he didn't harm you!"

Gently grabbing Gohan's chin, she forced him to look at her. "I'm so sorry Gohan. What has he been doing to you?"

The boy squirmed out of her grip and turned away. "Nothing. It was just training."

Bulma's rage burned hot as she eyed a particularly nasty bruise on Gohan's back. "This is not nothing. Killer or not, I'm going to take care of that space monkey right now."

Swiftly she turned and stormed out of the room, intent on giving Vegeta a piece of her mind.

Terrified for her safety, Gohan grabbed his shirt and chased after her.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Dr Briefs and Vegeta were discussing the finer points of space travel as they were exiting the ship. The scientist would speak of what he knew of space travel, and the Saiyan would add in all that he could remember. The old man's knowledge intrigued Vegeta. _'He's a brilliant scientist. I can respect his knowledge and skill. This ship is much faster than any pod we used and much more comfortable. Imagine if he had one of the Planet Trade Organizations ships to look over. It's odd, though. Some of what he's incorporated seems familiar and not of pod origin.'_

The Prince's eyes narrowed as he realized what was so familiar. He turned towards the scientist. "What do you know of the Galactic Patrol?"

"Eh?" Dr Briefs' eyebrows scrunched in thought. "Oh, that's what that Yacko..err..Sacco..err, I can't remember his name, was part of. He came here looking for something when Bulma was just a little girl. Not sure what it was. He gave us some info on his ship for helping him. Our older daughter forced him to take her on some adventure in space. Don't hear from her much. Maybe a letter dropped off ever so many years."

Vegeta's eyes glinted like steel. "If you hear anything from them, I want to know immediately. They will not hesitate to attack if they hear of a Saiyan here. The boy will be in danger from them as well. I wonder how Kakarot survived so long with them visiting Earth."

"Well we haven't actually seen Tights or that spaceman in well over twenty years. It's unlikely we will soon." Dr Briefs voice held a hint of sadness over his eldest daughter.

A screaming voice interrupted anything else the two males were going to say as a furious Bulma stomped up to them. "You damn monkey bastard!"

In anger, she swung and slapped the Saiyan across the face. Pulling her hand back, she hissed in pain. _'The jerk didn't even flinch!'_

The look Vegeta gave Bulma could have melted steel. He grabbed the hand she hit him with and applied pressure. "How dare you strike me earth woman! You will learn to respect me."

Bulma glared right back at the Prince, ignoring the pain. "Or what? You're going to beat me senseless like you did to a little boy?! You said you didn't hurt him! Such a lie! He's covered with bruises and wounds. What kind of monster abuses a child like that?"

"Did he come whining to you about his training? He's been coddled to much." With a light push, Vegeta released her hand, causing her to stumble back and fall on her rump.

He took a step towards her menacingly only for a small body to dash between them. "Please don't hurt Bulma. I told her it was nothing but she doesn't understand. Even Mr Piccolo gave me bruises when he trained me."

Gohan stood there, clutching his shirt in one hand with the other at a ready defense.

The dark eyes of the Prince roamed over form, taking in the deep bruises. Vegeta gestured towards the worst of them. "I did not think I hit you that hard."

Gohan shook his head. "No. Those are from when I was fighting Frieza. He got me really good."

Vegeta nodded to him. "Hn. We will focus your training on other things until those are healed some then." He unconsciously rubbed his hand over heart where Frieza's blast had killed him.

Reaching down, Vegeta picked up a small rock and rubbed it around in his hand for a moment before throwing it off into some distant trees. "Time to learn to use your senses boy. You rely to much on sensing chi. Find that stone."

Gohan stood there hesitantly, glancing down at Bulma.

The Prince snarled at the boy. "GO! I won't injure the wench."

After a last glance down, the boy pulled on his shirt and took off in the direction the rock had been thrown.

As the child ran off Bulma scrambled to her feet. Glaring at Vegeta, she stepped up into his personal space. "Don't think you're off the hook mister. I'm not going to just let you have your way."

"Go play with your dolls little girl." Vegeta sneered at her and crossed his arms. Pushing roughly past her, he followed the direction Gohan had gone.

Bulma stood there sputtering, to angry to get out a response. With a cry of exasperation, she rushed back into the house.

Dr Briefs watched after his daughter. Reaching up a hand he gently rubbed the chin of the cat perched on his shoulder. "Well, Scratch, she has her heart in the right place, but it looks like she needs to get all the facts before she attacks. That Vegeta fellow seemed concerned enough about Gohan's well being. We'll just watch and see how they interact."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan ran past the mingling groups of Namekians and into the the grove of trees. Looking around he gave out a sigh. _'How am I supposed to find one little rock here? How am I supposed to sense a rock?'_

He let out a frustrated growl and sat down heavily. Taking a deep breath the scents of nature relaxed him. He froze, eyes widening. _'Dad always said our sense of smell was better than a dogs. I wonder.'_

Rising, he crouched down on all fours, with his nose a few feet from the ground. Taking a few deep sniffs, a smile crossed his face at the the faint trace of earthy musk he knew was Vegeta. Making a small circle he found the direction it was strongest and followed the scent.

After a good ten minutes, he found the object of his search. Grasping it in delight, he stood up and let out a shout of joy. A loud snort from behind startled the boy, causing him to jump and spin around.

Vegeta stood there leaning against a tree, watching. "So your human blood hasn't distorted your senses. Good. Now you need to start using that nose to it's fully ability. Pay enough attention and you can scent out deception and truth. You will begin with identifying people by their scent."

Standing up fully, the Saiyan moved off back towards the house. "Come. We will work more on your language lessons. It will allow private conversations to remain that way. A valuable asset in battle."

Gohan followed swiftly behind, contemplating the stoic Prince. _'I guess he's really serious about my training. Now that I know that he isn't going to kill me, I'm not really afraid of him. All this might be fun.'_

Halfway to the dome, Vegeta came to halt and turned to look at the boy following him. "Go find your little Namekian friend. Have him heal you. Find me in an hour." With that he turned back and resumed his pace.

The boy stood wide eyed for just a moment before realization dawned. He could go talk with his friends for a bit. Searching out he felt for the familiar chi then ran off.

"Dende!" Gohan found his friend in a conversation with Piccolo. Both Namekians looked up and smiled as the boy came rushing up. "Hey guys! Vegeta let me go for a little bit. I've been wanting to see how you two were."

Piccolo let his customary scowl drift back into place. "Are you ok, Gohan? How has he treated you?"

Gohan sighed. "Not you too, Mr Piccolo. You know that we get bruises and marks when sparing. Vegeta is really tough and I thought he was going to kill me, but I think he's just pushing me hard. Bulma went ballistic when she saw me without my shirt, though."

The Namekian warrior moved swiftly, pulling up the bottom of Gohan's shirt to reveal the marks. Dende gasped in shock. Piccolo growled in anger. "I'm going to kill that Saiyan."

Before Piccolo could move off to find his target, Gohan grabbed his arm. "The bad ones are from my fight with Frieza. Vegeta didn't even know how bad. He told me to come find Dende."

The older Namekian relaxed a bit. _'Some of those are bad. For Vegeta to be concerned enough to send him to get healed is interesting.'_

Dende stepped closer to Gohan and raised his hands. "Of course I will heal you, Gohan. Please sit and relax."

The boy smiled at his friend as he dropped to the ground and the warm feeling of healing magic washed over him. He grinned widely when it was done. "Thank you Dende! I feel better than new."

The next hour was spent catching up and forging deeper bonds of friendship between the two boys. Piccolo occasionally joined in the conversation but was mostly his quiet self.

Finally Gohan stood up and stretched. "I'd better go. Don't want to make the 'Prince of all Saiyans' mad."

Piccolo just snorted while Dende laughed. Gohan gave them a big grin and waved happily as he wandered off.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta was sitting at the table in the kitchen lost in thought when Gohan entered and slid into a chair and waited to be acknowledged. The Prince's black eyes turned to look at him. " **Are you ready**?"

The boy scrunched his nose up, trying to remember those words and what they meant. He only recognized one of them. "I don't understand all of that."

The Saiyan growled in impatience. "You will answer only in Saiyago when spoken to in it. **Ready**?"

" **Yes**." Gohan furrowed his brows in concentration. He knew that Vegeta wasn't a patient person when it came to teaching academics. The last few days had shown him that. ' _At least the language is easy to learn. Vegeta said there is genetic memory for it or something and that's why Saiyan babies sent to purge are so easily taught in the pods.'_

 **o-o-o-o-o**

They were still sorting out words into Gohan's steadily growing vocabulary a few hours later when Mrs Briefs entered the kitchen. The two males fell silent.

"Oh don't you boys stop on my account. I'm just going to start dinner. I know you two must be hungry." She began bustling around prepping ingredients and humming quietly to herself.

Vegeta eyed her for several moments, contemplating. Nodding once to himself, he turned to the boy next to him and continued the lessons.

Another hour passed with delicious scents slowly becoming to much for the waiting stomachs. When the two males thought they couldn't take anymore, the blonde haired woman turned away from her work and smiled. "Alright boys. Go wash up while I set the table and call down for my husband and daughter."

Mrs Briefs giggled to herself as they scrambled out of their seats before her words were done. They were back before she finished the table and sat waiting patiently as dishes were served up.

Dr Briefs was the first to enter and gave a small nod to Vegeta before taking his seat. As she slipped the last dish into place, his wife sat next to him. Then they waited.

Bulma was half out of breath as she rushed in and took her seat. Vegeta glared at her. "Woman, you should know better than to make a Saiyan wait for their meal."

Bulma glared back but any retort was cut short by her mother. "Oh Vegeta dear. It's alright. I'm sure Bulma didn't mean to keep us waiting. But now that she's here we can eat!"

The Prince nodded assent to her then resumed his glare at Bulma as they filled their plates.

All was quiet except for the sounds of eating for a moment. Suddenly Vegeta reached out and cuffed the boy next to him who was stuffing his face as fast has he could, food bits flying. "Whelp! Don't eat like an animal."

Bulma glared up about to defend the child when her father gave her a pointed look. Seething she waited to see what would happen.

Gohan gulped down his mouthful of food and warily watched Vegeta neatly and swiftly eat without so much as a drop spilling. The boy looked down at his plate and began to eat again, though at a much slower pace as he carefully tried to emulate the Prince.

Dr Briefs nodded to himself and his wife grinned wide. Bulma could just watch in awe. They'd tried everything to teach Goku table manners. None of it ever got through. Gohan had eaten like his father on their voyage to Namek and she'd hopelessly tried to teach him as well. Now here in seconds, the boy had been corrected and was attempting to comply. She looked close at Gohan. _'He doesn't seem to be afraid and that really didn't sound like a threat. So what is it that got through to him?'_ She shrugged her shoulders and resumed her own meal.

When the meal was mostly done, Bulma had expected the Saiyan to drag Gohan off to train. Instead he sat there waiting patiently. As soon as Dr Briefs was finished, Vegeta turned towards him. "The boy needs educational books. An hour or two a night for studying will do him good. He doesn't need to end up an idiot like his father Kakarot."

Bulma stood up and planted her hands on the table. "Now listen here mister. Goku isn't an idiot. If you think he is, you fell for his act. Even his first sensei made sure he was educated. We supplemented it over the years. He may be really good natured, but that is a quick mind on tactics and he rarely misses details on anything."

Vegeta glared at her for a moment, then stood up and moved towards the outside door. " **Come boy**."

Gohan scrambled after him.

"Hey! Get back here I wasn't done talking to you!" Bulma fumed as she was ignored.

Mrs Briefs watched them go. "Oh isn't their language so exotic? It's almost primal with how deep and guttural it is."

Bulma gave her mother a bewildered look. "He insulted Goku and that's all you are thinking about?"

Her mother began clearing the table. "Oh, he just doesn't know our Goku well enough yet. Just wait."

Shaking her head, Bulma wandered back off to her work.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta was making his way towards the spaceship. _'The old man said that the gravity simulation should be working fine and that I just need to be careful around the gravitron until it's fully shielded. Warm up exercises under gravity will be fine.'_

Gohan followed the Saiyan into the ship and stared around with wide eyes. "Wow this is much different than the Namekian ship we flew."

The boy jumped as the door whooshed closed. Vegeta smirked at him from the control panel. "Prepare yourself boy. We're going to work under gravity. I'll start you off easy at 10g then we will work up from there."

The lights in the ship flashed for a moment then the air seemed to thicken and bear down. Gohan grunted at the sudden change and fell to his knees. Determined, he pulled himself back to his feet and looked at the Prince expectantly.

Vegeta gave him a smirk. "Good. Now do warm ups. And stay away from the mechanicals in the center of the ship."

Gohan nodded and began push ups as he let his mind wander.

After a while the boy looked over at where Vegeta was doing his own exercises. "Why are you teaching me? I thought you didn't like humans, and I'm half human."

Letting out a sigh, Vegeta paused and looked at Gohan. "I've never said I hate humans. They are just weak for the most part. Yes, I could have just taken you out of the abusive situation and dumped you with the Namek. He seemed eager for that. But you are Saiyan. I've seen you fight. Something with the mixing of the two bloods has given you a great potential. That shouldn't be wasted."

The Prince looked away for a bit, sorting out his thoughts. "We are the last of our kind. The soil of Vegetasai knits our bones, and the moon sings in our blood. Our people were very social, with the ape urge to run in a troop. Full moons were glorious. But one of the worst punishments was to be shunned. An outcast set adrift alone away from others. With Raditz then Nappa gone, I've been alone and it's a dark place with little sanity. The nightmares have been less the last few days with you around."

A shadow passed over Vegeta's face. "With Frieza gone, there is no need for another Saiyan to grow up to become like me. You can go out and 'do good' like your father. There is to much blood on my hands to every be fully washed away. I know what waits for me in hell. I was warned when I was dead. Told that I might be able to lessen that sentence as I was pulled back to life. So I will try. **You** get to be my experiment as I try out 'good'."

The Saiyan resumed his exercise for several minutes before pausing again. "Is it true you're father just acts the fool?"

Startled, Gohan jerked his head up. "Um. Dad is always just having fun and carefree. I know he watches everything, though, and he learns fast. Mom thinks he's stupid, too. But then he will say something and she will have a hard time keeping up with the intelligence of it. It's just how he is."

Vegeta gave a satisfied grunt. "So he's unintentionally deceptive. He did fool me. I'll give him that."


	6. Darkness

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*About last chapter. I'm not bringing Jakko into the story. Was just adding that in where some of the spacecraft knowledge came from. Vegeta actually trying to be good will make for some changes to events.*_

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **Chapter 6: Darkness**

Gohan fell exhausted into his new bed. Sleep claimed him almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 _Gohan was hiding in his room when the door burst open and his mother stormed in. "There you are! Hiding like the little monkey monster you are! Now bend over. I need to pull out any fur that remains from where your tail was. Humans don't have fur and you **will** be human." The boy scrunched back into a corner, hands covering where the small stump of his tail remained. It was sensitive and he didn't want to hurt. The woman loomed over him and scowled. Grabbing his arm she jerked him roughly to the bed on his stomach and pulled down on his pants. Gripping a tuft of fur in the pliers she was wielding, she yanked it from it's roots, taking skin with it. Blood welled up to take it's place. Grimly she grabbed a bit more fur as the child she held down began to scream at the pain. "Mom! NO! DON'T!"_

The boy jerked upright in bed, screaming his throat raw. His eyes were wide and unseeing, still caught in the nightmare as Bulma rushed in. Grabbing his arm she tried to sooth him but he was to strong and pulled away just as something smacked into her ribs, flinging her away.

As her parents rushed in, Bulma looked at them helpless and gasping for breath from where she'd landed on the floor. They stared uncertain at the child.

"Move." Vegeta's dark voice startled them into complying.

Reaching the boy he grabbed him ignoring the struggles. He shook him roughly. "Wake up!"

The screams stopped and wild eyes cleared in recognition before Gohan broke down into sobs and clutched at the Saiyans shirt. "S-she had me again and it hurt. It still hurts."

The Prince placed an awkward hand on the crying boy's head. With the other he reached down to sooth the thrashing tail.

Bulma watched the scene stunned. _'That's what hit me. His tail grew back.'_

Dr Briefs stepped up by the bed. "What's wrong with our poor boy."

Vegeta shook his head. "Nightmares. His mother still attacks him in his nightmares."

Mrs Briefs gave a soft cry from the doorway. "Oh, the poor boy. What did she do to cause it to be this bad?"

The Prince shrugged. "He hasn't spoken of it. I will not pry. I know what those demons are like."

The crying had calmed and the grip on Vegeta's shirt began to loosen. He reached out and steadied the boy who had slipped back off into sleep. Laying him back down, the Saiyan stood and made his way out of the room.

The Briefs family quietly watched him go, adding his actions to their knowledge of him.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Dawn found Bulma stumbling into the dark kitchen. Half awake she found the coffee maker and turned it on. Reaching over to the wall, she switched on the overhead sink light then turned.

Letting out a shrill cry, she backed into the counter.

The dark shape sitting at the table watching her gave a cocky grin.

"You jerk!" Bulma clutched at the front of her night shirt panting. "You damn near gave me a heart attack!"

A small laugh escaped Vegeta's lips, causing a shiver to run up Bulma's spine. She let out a huff and moved to start some food.

She glanced over at the Prince as he sat there watching her. "I suppose you want some breakfast. Well I'm not a great cook like my Mom, but my food's good enough."

Bulma had just finished stacking ingredients on counter and was digging out pans when her mother came in. "Oh Bulma dear, is everything ok? I thought I heard you scream."

The blue haired woman gave a snort and waved towards the table. "I'm fine. The monkey over there was just slinking around the dark kitchen and startled me."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he scowled. "Woman. You better learn some respect. You keep calling me monkey and I might start mistaking you for Frieza and we both know how that is going to end."

Bulma spun around and braced one hand on her hip, the other shaking a frying pan at the Saiyan. "I have a name, too, you know. It's Bulma and you better get used to using it. You're lucky we're letting you stay here. It's not like you can afford to live anywhere."

Black eyes glared death at Bulma and she took a few involuntary steps back, gulping. The Saiyan only stood abruptly and stormed out of the kitchen and into the main house.

Mrs Briefs frowned at her daughter. "That wasn't very nice dear. You don't need to call him names."

Her daughter jerked her head towards here. "He's a monster, Mom. He tried to kill Goku, and his buddy did manage to kill some of our friends."

The blonde woman gave light laugh. "Oh Bulma dear. You forget that everyone has tried to kill our Goku. Even you did when you first met him."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "It's not the same thing! Sure he teamed up with Krillen and Gohan on Namek, but that was only for his own selfish needs."

She turned and placed pans on the stove. "Besides, he's just going to be a leech. I forgot he was a Saiyan when I invited him. He's going to eat us poor and give nothing back."

Mrs Briefs shook her head sadly at her daughter. "The poor man has no home. It's only right we help him out. Besides, he helped with Gohan last night."

Bulma's shoulders slumped slightly in guilt. "Oh yeah. I forgot about the nightmare. I guess maybe I should thank him for helping Gohan.

The older woman patted her daughter's arm. "I'm sure he's not a bad person. He just needs a chance. Now let's get some breakfast started for those starving boys."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta's steps had taken him into the hall outside the Briefs' bedroom. He leaned against the wall and waited patiently.

Soon the old scientist stepped out of his room stretching. Seeing the Saiyan standing there, he greeted him. "Good morning, Vegeta. You taking our boy out for training this early?"

"Later." The Prince pushed off the wall and stood before the man. "Why are you doing this? I don't like being in debt to anyone. What are you wanting from me?"

The old man gave a small smile. "Oh, I'm not wanting anything. I have the means to help out and you need some help."

Vegeta snorted. "I don't need charity. What do you want in exchange for a place to stay and use of the gravity machine?"

Dr Briefs eyed the proud male standing before him for a moment. "Well, if you really wish to do something, I do have some rather heavy components that need carefully put into place on some of my projects. The robots have difficulty and it would be much easier with actual hands. I'd hire helpers but this is prototype stuff and rather secret."

He held out his hand to the Saiyan. "Help me out with that type of stuff and I'll be satisfied."

Vegeta contemplated the offer for several minutes. Watching the scientist for any hint of deception. Finally he reached out and shook the offered hand. "Fine."

Dr Briefs smiled "Great. It will go much faster with a pair of strong dexterous hands helping. Now let's wake my grandson and go get some breakfast."

The scientist walked off, momentarily followed by the Saiyan.

After a few, Vegeta spoke. "I will need some robots to help with training."

"Just let me know what you need and I should be able to put something together. Give me a few days," the older man said nodding.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

 _'I wonder what Dad's been up to lately.'_ Bulma thought as she wandered through the halls sipping her coffee. _'He's been busy with something this last month.'_

Coming up to the lab, Bulma keyed in the code and waited for the door to slide open. The sight that met her was not what she was expecting. There was Vegeta, holding a heavy panel in place while her father was busy riveting it. Stunned she gawked at them.

Black eyes turned to regard her. "Close your mouth, woman."

Bulma snapped her jaw shut and huffed in irritation. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, Bulma dear, how are you today?" Dr Briefs glanced over his shoulder at his daughter. "Just a few more and I'm done with this."

Finishing his task, the scientist set down his rivet gun and brushed off his hands. Turning towards Bulma he smiled. "Have you come to help work on the projects? I've already finished the new gadgets for the symposium. Now I'm just working on a few side projects to get ahead."

Bulma eyed her father skeptically. "You're done with the symposium inventions? How? Last time I checked there was still a few months worth of work on them."

Dr Briefs patted the arm of the Saiyan standing next to him. "Vegeta here has been a great help. His strength has made it all go together quickly. And with his insight from technology he's used, I made vast improvements to the plans I'd made up. The competition will have no chance against us."

The old scientist had a gleeful look as he anticipated the awards Capsule Corporation would gain.

Bulma gazed at Vegeta thoughtfully. "So why are you helping my father? What's in it for you?"

The Prince snorted. "We have an agreement. I dislike being in anyone's debt."

Bulma started to ask about the agreement, but a shriek of pain echoed down the hall and through the open door.

"Mom!" Bulma shoved her mug onto a counter and turned to rushed out the door. Fear nagged in the blue haired woman's gut as she ran, her father close on her heels.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan had been having a pleasant afternoon just relaxing in the garden while his grandmother tended her flowers. She had been telling him stories about his father and Bulma when they were younger. Laying back on the grass, he closed his eyes and smiled.

A dark shadow moved over him and then he was jerked to his feet by his hair. Crying out in surprise he opened his eyes to see his attacker.

Holding him out at arms length with a sneer of disgust on her face was his mother. His grandfather, the Ox King, stood nervously behind her.

Gohan started to shake as panic set in.

Chi-Chi glared at the boy. "I knew they were hiding you. I told them I'd be back."

She threw Gohan to the ground and loomed over him. "How dare you run away from me? I'm your mother and you will obey me. Now get up. We're going home. I'll figure out your punishment when we get there."

The boy stared up at her from the ground. His eyes went vacant as terror gripped him, sending him retreating into his own mind.

Seeing Gohan not obey her demand, Chi-Chi grew irate. "I said get up!"

She aimed a kick into his ribs that sent him rolling. Still he lay there.

The Ox King stepped up behind his daughter. "Hey now Chi-Chi. You said we were just going to rescue Gohan. Why are you kicking him?"

Rounding on her father, the woman glared, causing him to shrink back from her. "You're here to keep the rest of them from interfering. I don't need you're input on this. I'll discipline him how I see fit."

"Get up you lazy monkey!" She aimed another kick at her son.

Seeing no response still, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small whip. "I'll teach you to listen to me!"

The first swing left a red welt down the side of Gohan's neck, but gained no response from him. In fury, the woman swung the whip as hard as she could, leaving a bloody gash from the boy's hairline to his chin.

Horrified, the Ox King couldn't seem to move. "What is wrong with you Chi-Chi? He's your son!"

"Stay out of this Dad or you're next!" The crazed woman barked back.

Suddenly Mrs Briefs was between Chi-Chi and Gohan. "You leave my grandson alone! How can you hurt him? He's just a little boy!"

Eye's flashing in anger, Chi-Chi swung the whip again, catching the older woman on the arm, causing her to scream out in pain. "Get out of my way! The stupid monkey deserves it!"

Collapsing to the ground in pain, Mrs Briefs looked up at the woman. "Please stop!"

Chi-Chi raised the whip to strike again, as she went to bring it down, a body tackled her from the side.

Running out of the building, and seeing her injured mother, Bulma had reacted without thinking. She rushed Chi-Chi, using her weight to knock the other woman to the ground.

Leveraging herself, Chi-Chi flipped the blue haired woman and punched her in the face.

Bulma closed her eyes as the woman reared back to hit her again. She felt a searing heat pass by her and opened her eyes just in time to see the black haired woman hit the garden wall with an explosion.

Looking behind her, Bulma watched as Vegeta, hand still raised, stalked forward. "Get that piece of trash out of here! The boy is mine now. The next time she attempts to do anything to him, I will kill her."

The Ox King looked from where his daughter lay crumpled to the Saiyan Prince. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's come over her. I've never seen her like this. Just please make sure my grandson is alright."

Vegeta glared at the large man. "I don't need your excuses."

Lowering his head, the Ox King retrieved his injured daughter and hurried from the compound.

Bulma felt the tension leave her and moved to get up. She felt a firm grip on her arm as she was pulled to her feet. Startled she looked up into Vegeta's dark eyes.

Releasing her arm, the Saiyan stepped back. "Go find that little Namkian named Dende. Your mother needs healed as does Gohan."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Dende sat back on his heals, wiping sweat from his brow. He looked up at the small group gathered around him. "It is much easier to heal you humans. Gohan's wounds weren't bad, but there is something wrong with him that I haven't been able to heal. He's hiding from the world in his mind. I don't know how to get him to come back out. We may just have to wait until he feels safe."

Bulma sighed and wrapped an arm around her mother. The older woman was wringing her hands with worry. Bulma thought she might break down into tears at any moment. Looking back at Dende, she gave him a grateful look. "Thank you for what you've been able to do for us and for Gohan."

"Yes, thank you much." Dr Briefs stepped up and lifted his grandson into his arms. "I think we should get him inside now. Maybe that will help."

Dende stood as the humans moved into the house. "Please let me know when he wakes up. He is my friend."

"Of course." Bulma gave the young Namekian a sad smile.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

It was well past midnight and Bulma sat quietly next to the bed holding Gohan's still form. He showed no sign of waking or falling into a natural sleep. The elder Briefs had long since gone to bed, the day having caught up to them.

She tenderly brushed the hair from his forehead. "Come on kiddo. Come back to us. It's safe now."

Bulma choked back the tears she could feel once again trying to surface. _'I feel so helpless. I just wish there was something I could do.'_

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the light click of the door as it was opened. A dark figure stood there watching her interact with the boy.

Closing the door, the Saiyan stepped up behind the blue haired woman. "Stroke down the spine and tail."

Startled, Bulma barely suppressed a scream as she jumped to her feet and turned. Clutching her chest, she narrowed her eyes at the Prince. "You almost gave me a heart attack. Make some noise."

Giving her a sardonic grin, Vegeta stepped around her and rolled Gohan onto his side. His hand moved gently down the boys back and tail, as if he was stroking a cat. "It's soothing to Saiyan children. The primal part of their mind knows their tail is vulnerable. Being gentle with the tail makes them feel protected."

Bulma watched the interaction for several quiet minutes. "You know, I was wrong about you. You're not as mean and evil as you try to get others to believe."

Vegeta gave a small laugh. "Oh, I am. There are plenty of souls in Otherworld who will tell you that."

He was quiet for a long time, just stroking the child. "I was given a second chance and I'm attempting to make the best of it. Today I failed. He should never have been hurt by his mother."

Bulma slapped the Saiyan on the shoulder, startling him. "It wasn't your fault. You can't be by his side every moment. That's not reasonable."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't blame me?"

"Of course not. No one does. This was all Chi-Chi's doing. It might have been worse for us all if you didn't step in." She looked over at the small boy. "I just wish he would wake up. We're all so worried about him."

Vegeta nodded his head to the boy. "Gohan's asleep now. Real sleep. I'll stay with him. He might be afraid when he wakes."

Giving the Saiyan's shoulder a gentle squeeze, Bulma turned towards the door. "Thanks. I'm going to get some sleep myself. I'll be next door. Get me if he wakes, please."

Swiftly Bulma turned and leaned down, lightly kissing the Princes cheek. Flushing red she hurried out the door.

Stunned, Vegeta could just watch her go.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan opened his eyes to darkness and felt fear creep into his mind. _'Where am I? What did Mom do to me now?'_

Just as he was about to panic and bolt from the bed he felt under him, a strong hand brushed down his spine and tail. A soft deep voice soothed back his fears. "You're safe. I won't let her take you."

Sitting up with tears in his eyes, Gohan could just make out the dark shape sitting next to him. Suddenly feeling very much the little boy that he really was, he crawled into the Saiyan's lap and curled up hugging him.

Vegeta stiffened at the contact as an unfamiliar feeling washed over him. Vague memories surfaced of his mother holding him when he was this boy's age. Memories of needing his father and being pushed away. _'My father was a bastard to me.'_

He looked at the small form gripping him. This wasn't the warrior that he'd fought beside and against. That warrior seemed so much older, more a peer. This was just a small Saiyan child, longing for the safety and protection of his father. A father that wasn't here.

Carefully wrapping his arms around the boy, Vegeta leaned back against the headboard, lost in his own thoughts.

In the warm embrace, Gohan relaxed and drifted back off to sleep.


	7. Overcome

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Little early this week. This chapter was a nightmare for me. I can't count how many times I wrote, deleted, then rewrote. Then I had a writers block issue that almost resulted in another angsty story. Some things need to happen earlier than cannon for what I have either planned or written for future chapters. What happens at the end of this chapter was actually written and planned for later, but it just fit in here. Doesn't change much of my plans and I just had to tweak a few things. There isn't as much Gohan and Vegeta interaction as I wanted this chapter.*_

 _*Warning, there is some innuendo there at the end. I am not a romance writer, but plot devices need plotted.*_

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **" word _"_** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 7: Overcome**

The sound of movement outside the door woke Vegeta. He opened his eyes to see Mrs Briefs open the door and peer in. Seeing the Prince was awake and holding her grandson, she gave him a questioning look before stepping inside the room. Vegeta gave her a shrug and sat up, the movement jostling Gohan awake.

Pulling himself from a wonderful sleep, Gohan became aware that his bed seemed to be firm and breathing. Fully waking up, he flushed in embarrassment at finding himself cuddled up to Vegeta. The boy scooted off the Saiyan's lap and looked down. "Um...sorry Vegeta."

The Prince put a hand on the child's head for a moment before standing up. "Your grandmother is here. I'm sure she is wishing to know you're ok."

Gohan turned and looked at his grandmother who was now beaming in joy. She rushed forward and scooped the boy into a hug. "Oh, Gohan! We were so worried about you!"

Vegeta walked out of the room, pausing at the door and cleared his throat. "Boy. Go wake Bulma. She wished to know when you awoke."

"Ok." Gohan gave his grandmother another quick hug and rushed to the room next door.

Smiling, Mrs Briefs walked up next to the Saiyan. "You're very good with him. You will make a good father to your own children someday."

Vegeta glanced at her then turned away. "He will most likely be the last Saiyan ever born. I will make every effort to ensure he doesn't become a monster like me."

The older woman reached out and gave his arm a squeeze, ignoring how he stiffened at the contact. "Oh nonsense. You'll find someone who will make you happy."

The Saiyan leveled a glare at her and shrugged off her hand. "There is so much blood on my hands, I'll never leave the depths of hell. One such as me doesn't deserve happiness."

Turning, Vegeta stormed off down the hall.

He made it to the stairs before a small body slammed into his leg. He looked down to find Gohan clutching him tight.

Tears streaming down his face, the boy looked up at the Saiyan. "Y-you were leaving. Please don't go. What if she comes back?"

The Prince resisted the urge to slap the boy off him. Instead he put a hand on his shoulder. "Your family needs to see that you're alright. If your mother comes back, I want you to run away. I'm just going down to the kitchen."

The boy buried his face against the Saiyan. "I'm afraid."

Vegeta looked up towards Mrs Briefs for help. She just waved him away. "You both go on down there. I'll be right down after you."

Trying to take a few steps, Vegeta found his movements hampered by the child who was still gripping him. His eyes narrowed in irritation. "Let go."

Gohan shook his head back and forth.

Vegeta let out a growl of frustration and rubbed his forehead. Reaching down, he grabbed the boy and pulled him up against his chest. Small arms and legs wrapped around the Prince as the child buried his face in the Saiyan's chest, tears soaking into his shirt.

With a frown, Vegeta slipped an arm under the boy, supporting his weight. With the other he awkwardly rubbed the child's back.

Gohan's tail wrapped around his arm. Vegeta furrowed his brows. _'How can he trust me this completely?'_

Quietly, the Saiyan made his way down stairs, not seeing how Mrs Briefs smiled happily at him.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta made his way past the groups of Namekians, ignoring the curious glances they were giving him.

He's barely been able to get Gohan off of him to sit and eat breakfast. No sooner had he made to stand than the child had reattached himself like a leech. This time he had the boy on his shoulders, freeing his hands.

He stalked up to where Piccolo floated cross legged under a tree.

The Namekian warrior raised an eyebrow as the Saiyan came to stand in front of him. "Well this is a sight I never expected to see."

Vegeta scowled. "Can it. I didn't ask for this."

Piccolo gave him a smirk causing the Prince to look away.

Taking a deep breath, the Saiyan looked back at the Namekian. "You're good with the mental things, right? Meditation and that other crap."

Piccolo nodded his head and waited for Vegeta to continue.

Pulling the child off him, the Prince stood him in front of him. He kept a hand on the boy's shoulder to stop him from turning around. "I need you to train Gohan. I'm sure you heard about yesterday. This needs fixed."

Giving another nod, Piccolo turned to the boy. "Gohan. I want you to sit here in front of me. We're going to learn some new techniques."

Gohan turned to look fearfully at Vegeta, causing the Saiyan to roll his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, boy. I'll sit over here while you learn."

Pushing the child to the ground. The Saiyan took a few steps and sat leaning against the tree. Silently he watched as Piccolo worked.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta stomped down the halls of Capsule Corp, Gohan close on his heals. He turned in irritation to the boy. "Knock it off, brat! It's been over three weeks. Stop clinging to me all the time!"

Gohan looked up at the Saiyan with wide eyes that started to glisten.

Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm an evil, sadistic bastard and you're surprised when I yell at you? You're a warrior, not some baby that needs coddled. Now act like it."

Shoulders slumped forward and head down, Gohan turned to walk back down the hall. "Ok."

A heavy sigh filled the air as the Prince grabbed the boy by the shoulder. "I'm not mad at you, but I need time to myself. My back is hurting like hell and I can't tolerate anything else right now. Go visit with the Namek and have him train you today. He's more than willing to protect you if needed."

Still facing away from him, Gohan nodded his head and started on his way.

"Find your aunt or grandmother first and have them bring me something for pain." Vegeta called down the hall.

Stepping into the living room, the Saiyan sprawled out face down on the couch.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

After a short search, Bulma found the Saiyan laying across the couch. Kneeling beside his head, she nudged him. "Hey, I brought you some painkillers."

With a groan, he sat up. Bulma handed him a glass of water and pulled a bottle of pills from her pocket, handing him two of them. Swallowing the medicine, he shoved the glass back at her and laid back down.

Bulma set the container on the end table. "So what's wrong?"

Vegeta's voice was muffled by the cushions. "Go away."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Such a drama queen."

Sitting on the edge of the couch beside him, she started rubbing her hand down the Princes spine.

Vegeta stiffed up instantly. "What the hell are you doing? I'm not some child."

Giving a small laugh the blue haired woman twisted and began to kneed along his spine, causing the Saiyan to relax. "You're acting like a child. Your back hurts. I figured this would help. I guess if you want I can stop."

When she quit moving her hands, a grunt was heard. "That's helping. Keep doing that."

With a wicked grin, Bulma resumed the massage. On her third slow pass from top to bottom, Vegeta let out a pain filled groan. Bulma jerked back for a second thinking she'd hurt him when something furry brushed against her arm. Startled, she bit back a scream.

Seeing what had touched her she shook her head and let out a sigh. She began stroking down his spine again, this time no protest came. When her hand reached the tail and she stroked down it, a sigh of relief was heard. She continued petting the Saiyan for a while.

Noticing his breathing had evened out, Bulma gave a small smile and stood up. Grabbing the throw from the back of the couch, she draped it over Vegeta.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Coming down to breakfast, Bulma heard voices in an argument well before she entered the kitchen. Walking inside she found her father calmly speaking to a very irritated Vegeta.

"I'm sorry. I just cannot upgrade it right now. I have several client meetings I must attend this week." The scientist stood firm in his words to the Prince. Quietly he sipped at his coffee.

Vegeta gave him the best glare he could muster. "I need that upgrade. I've been able to handle the max for a while now. I even waited to ask for the upgrade until the boy was no longer benefiting."

Dr Briefs just shook his head. "I'm really sorry. I can get to it sometime next week."

Curiosity got the best of Bulma. "What upgrade are you talking about?"

Her father turned and gave her a small nod. "Good morning dear."

He waved a hand over toward the irate Saiyan. "Vegeta here wants the gravitron upgraded in the ship. I'd been working on it, but I just don't have the time to install it right now."

Bulma smiled and gave the Saiyan a wink, causing him to look away. "Oh, that's no problem. I can install it! I'm not your genius daughter for nothing."

Now she had Vegeta's attention. He gave her a skeptical look. " **You** are capable of fixing it?"

She gave him a frown. "Of course I am. Who do you think keeps doing the repairs when you break something in there?"

Bulma looked back to her father. "So what are we upgrading it to? I know Goku's was at 100g. Are we taking this up to 200g?"

A snort came from the Prince. "This one already goes to that. We need at least 400 gravity now."

Bulma looked at him with wide eyes? "You're already at 200? It's only been about three months. That's amazing."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her. "It's nothing. I had to wait for Gohan to catch up. Now we're ready for more."

Now Bulma looked at the boy. "You can handle 200 times? Wow, you're really something kid."

Bulma moved to grab some coffee and a piece of toast from her mother. "I'll get started on it right away. That is just so amazing."

As she walked out the door towards the spaceship, dark eyes followed her.

Gohan looked between the Saiyan and where Bulma had gone. **" Why do you always stare at her?"**

Vegeta spun to the child with a snarl grabbing his arm. **" I don't know what you're talking about."**

Mrs Briefs set plates on the table, then gave Vegeta a look. "Don't take it out on him. He's not the only one who's noticed."

Dr Briefs raised an eyebrow. "Noticed what dear?"

His wife gave him a pat on the arm. "Oh Vegeta here is just embarrassed at being caught watching our daughter."

The scientist gave a chuckle. "Bulma stares at him as well. I think they are the only two who haven't noticed."

Vegeta blushed lightly. With a growl he stood up and stormed out the door.

The elder Briefs gave each other a knowing look.

Taking a bite of his food, Dr Briefs turned towards his wife. "So when did you learn their language?"

She grabbed more plates and set them in front of her grandson. "Oh, I just pick up a bit here and there when Vegeta was teaching it to our Gohan here. It's nice to know what's going on."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Stepping out of Gohan's room, Vegeta quietly closed the door.

"You seem extra quiet lately." Bulma's voice came from his right.

He turned to see her leaning against her door frame watching him. "I've had a lot on my mind."

Bulma beckoned him closer with a wave. "Come and talk with me for a bit."

The Prince reluctantly made his way to her. When he got to her she pulled him into the room and shut the door. "There. It can be nice and private."

She led him over to the bed and pushed him to make him sit. He jerked away from her hands. "Don't touch me."

Bulma gave him an exasperated look. "What is this issue you have with being touched?"

Vegeta returned her look. "Why do you keep touching me?"

Rolling her eyes, Bulma sat in the chair near her bed. "Normal people touch each other."

"I'm not a normal earthling." The Saiyan crossed his arms and glared at her. "I'm an evil ass who destroys stuff."

"You've been here over three months. What have you done that's evil during that time." Bulma stared the Saiyan in the eyes.

Vegeta was the first to look away. "What have I done that is good? Nothing."

Bulma leaned forward and grabbed his arm to get him to look back at her. "You've done a lot. You help my Dad out in his lab."

Pulling away and crossing his arms, Vegeta refused to look back at her. "That is a business transaction to pay for my stay here. I believe he only agreed to it out of pity."

Now Bulma laughed. "Dad loves having you in there. He's talked about how much faster your help has made some of the project go. He's way ahead of where he'd normally be. I think he really respects you."

She looked off into the distance. "Mom loves you and sees you as part of the family now. That's why she's been trying to get you to move out of the guest wing and on to the family floor."

"Gohan." She looked back at him, trying to catch his eyes again. "Gohan I think has a some sort of hero worship going on for you. I see how he's always trying to gain your approval on everything he does. And you've been good to him. Every time you acknowledge something he's done he has the biggest smile."

Bulma smiled at the Saiyan, though she knew he wasn't looking. "What you've done for Gohan is definitely good. None of us could have taken him and kept him away from the horror that his mother was inflicting on him. You stopped it the first time you saw it, even though you'd been enemies and only had an uneasy truce with the boy. You've been teaching him. Yes, most of it is fighting, but he loves it. I'm not sure how much freeing one little boy's soul counts as good, but I think it's a lot."

She paused for a moment, feeling nervous. "I've seen how you look at him. I know you've come to actually care for him. I think being around him makes you happy."

Now Vegeta turned to glare at her. "I cannot be happy. I'm a blood thirsty killer who conquers planets. Or are you conveniently forgetting the city that was destroyed and your friends who died when I came here."

Bulma rubbed her hands. "I know. I've thought about that. But tell me. Who...no...how many did **you** actually kill? I thought it was all your buddy."

Vegeta didn't ease his stare. "Nappa wasn't my buddy. I was just stuck with him. I didn't stop his attacks."

Finally he looked away again. "I almost killed Kakarot. I'm still not sure how he beat me."

A hint of something filled his voice. "I almost killed Gohan. He transformed into Oozaru and attacked me."

"But you didn't." Bulma attempted to sooth him with her voice. "You didn't kill anyone on Earth. Yes, you killed that village on Namek, but I've already worked out a plan using Shenron and Porunga to fix that as soon as the other wishes are taken care of."

Bulma moved from her chair and sat next to the Saiyan on the bed. She rested a hand on his leg. "You should look at your resurrection on Namek as a second chance. Try and do things right this time. Start with forgiving yourself. It's much easier to do good things, if you're happy with where you currently are in your own life."

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I can help you. I want to help you. Will you let me?"

Vegeta shifted to look at her. "I'm a monster. I think you're forgetting that."

She smiled softly and reached up to cup his cheek. He closed his eyes at the touch. "That's what you were. That isn't what you have to be any more. We can go on new from here. Please let me help you."

Finally, Vegeta uncrossed his arms and pulled her into an embrace. His voice was rough when he spoke. "I don't know what I'm doing in this life."

Bulma smiled against him. "I'll show you."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Early in the morning, Panchy Briefs walked down the stairs and towards the kitchen to start the very large breakfast she knew she'd be making.

 _'Those boys sure do have good appetites,'_ she thought.

The sound of light snoring from the direction of the living room caught her attention. _'Hmm, I wonder who fell asleep in there.'_

Knowing that the sounds of her cooking would likely wake whomever it was, she stepped into the dark room and peered over the back of the couch. There, with one arm and leg draped off the edge, half under a blanket, lay her grandson.

Curious as to why he was here and not in his bed, she walked around the couch and gently shook him awake. "Gohan, Gohan. Wake up. I'm sure your bed is much more comfortable than the couch."

Gohan groaned and slowly opened his eyes. "Grandma? Urgh... I need a new room."

Worried she looked him over. "Why is that dear? Is there something wrong with your room?"

Gohan groaned again. "Yes. It's next to Bulma's and she's to damn loud. She woke me up and then I couldn't get back to sleep with her yelling."

Panchy patted the boys thigh. "That daughter of mine, so rude. We'll see about getting you another room then. We'll talk to your grandfather when he comes down. Now why don't you come in the kitchen with me and I'll find you something sweet to eat while I make breakfast."

At the promise of food, Gohan was off the couch in a flash. "Alright, food!"

His grandmother giggled at his reaction and went to make breakfast. "You're just like your father."

Gohan was playing with his spoon when Bulma came down for breakfast. Yawning wide she got a cup of coffee and sat at the table. "So when's it going to be done, Mom?"

Mrs Briefs turned and smiled at her daughter. "Just a few more moments dear."

"It sure smells good this morning," Dr Briefs spoke from the doorway then made his way to his chair as his wife brought him his coffee. "Good morning, honey."

Panchy gave a searching look at her daughter, then spoke to her husband. "We have a problem, dear. Poor Gohan needs a new room."

The older man looked over at his grandson. "Oh? What's the problem with it?"

Panchy gave a huge smile. "The poor boy was woken up. It seems Bulma was very loud last night. How inconsiderate."

Bulma froze for a moment. "Um...it must have been the TV."

Bulma began taking several small sips of her drink to calm her nerves.

Dr Briefs looked over at Gohan. "So where would you like your room to be?"

The boy brightened. "Can I just trade with Vegeta? His is nice and far away. And he wouldn't have to walk as far at night."

Bulma began choking on her drink and blushed deep red. "Gah (cough)...Gohan! (cough) How can you even suggest that?"

A deep voice rumbled from the doorway. "Well you weren't complaining last night."

Bulma whirled in her chair and pointed at where Vegeta was leaning on the door frame. "You! You're not helping!"

He gave her a wicked grin. "Was I supposed to be?"

Bulma turned back around, blushing even deeper. Seeing the looks of amusement on her parents' faces, she groaned in embarrassment and covered her own face with her hands.

Clasping her hands together, Mrs Briefs gave Vegeta a huge smile. "Come get seated. Breakfast is ready!"

The Prince complied and took his customary seat. As she put dishes on the table, the older woman let out the occasional giggle. Finally taking her seat she watched Gohan and Vegeta eat before turning towards her daughter. "Now we can start talking about baby names! I've been waiting impatiently for you to give me grand kids."

It was Vegeta's turn to choke. Dr Briefs reached over and thumped him on the back. "Chew son. She's only going to get worse on this topic. Watch out or she'll have you two married by the end of the week."

Vegeta turned cautious eyes towards the blonde woman. Panchy gave him a giddy smile. "Oh that is a wonderful idea! It can be a small affair in the garden. I'll call Judge Shoe in a bit and arrange it."

Bulma was almost ready to explode. "No! Don't we get a say in this? I mean he's cute and all, but I highly doubt Vegeta wants to marry some earthling."

Panchy smiled. "Well dear, that sure sounded like you want to."

Bulma felt her blush come back and looked towards Vegeta for support.

He gave her an evil smirk. "I think it's a great idea. It will ensure repeat performances of last night."

Throwing her hands in the air, Bulma retreated to the living room.

Gohan looked between all the adults. "I definitely need a new bedroom."


	8. Arise

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*I've been waiting for this chapter to happen.*_

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **{word}** = Namekian

 **Chapter 8: Arise**

Bulma took a deep breath. It had been a little over four months. Finally the Namekian dragon balls had become active. It seemed like forever. So much had changed in that short time. This was it. This was finally the day.

The large back lawn of Capsule Corporation was crowded on the late summer evening. All the Namekians crowded around, waiting to see the great Porunga as he was summoned. Bulma stood nervously beside Moori and Dende, the large glowing orbs waiting in front of them. Her parents watched from several paces behind her.

Gohan was bouncing around in the large space the Namekians had left around a very bored looking Vegeta. "I can't wait to see my Daddy again! Isn't it great Vegeta?"

The Prince narrowed his eyes and growled. "Sure. Great. I can't wait to kick his ass and prove that I'm the better warrior."

The boy cocked his head. "But Daddy's a Super Saiyan."

Vegeta lifted his lip in a sneer, showing off the glittering canines. "I don't care if he's become the legend. It should have been me!"

A deep frown creased Gohan's face. "You're not going to really hurt him are you?"

"I'm not going to kill him if that's what you're worried about. I'm just going to prove who's the the Prince of Saiyans." Vegeta crossed his arms and looked away.

Gohan gave a sigh of relief and rushed back to Bulma's side.

The gathering grew silent when Moori cleared his throat. He smiled over at Bulma. "Go ahead and wish back some of your friends."

He looked down at the Namekian child in front of him. "Dende will you do the honors?"

Nodding, Dende raised his hands. **{Porunga I summon you forth!}**

The large dragon balls pulsed with light. A bright streak erupted out, shooting towards the sky and the great Namekian dragon coalesced into being.

Eyes glowing bright, Porunga surveyed the beings below him. "You who have summoned me, what are your three wishes?"

Gohan looked nervously over at Vegeta, half expecting him to demand his wish he never got on Namek.

Vegeta arched his eyebrow at the boy's look. "What? Frieza's dead. I no longer have a need for immortality."

"Great! I think it would have been awfully lonely." Gohan relaxed and turned back to watch the dragon.

Bulma looked at Dende. "Wish that Goku and Krillin were brought to Earth's check-in station in Otherworld."

Dende nodded. **{I wish for the souls of the warriors known as Goku and Krillin to be taken to Earth's Otherworld check-in station.}**

Porunga's eyes glowed bright red for a moment. "The one known as Krillin has been moved to Earth's check-in station. I cannot move the one known as Goku there because he is not dead."

Gasps were heard from several of those assembled.

Bulma was beaming with excitement. She grabbed Dende's hands for a moment. "Have him bring Goku home!"

"Of course!" With a huge smile, Dende spoke the wish. **{I wish for the one known as Goku to be brought to Earth.}**

Porunga's eyes glowed again for several long moments. "You're wish cannot be granted."

Gohan looked devastated. "What? But why?"

The dragon's deep voice echoed over the grounds. "The one known as Goku refuses to be transported back. He says he will return on his own."

Gohan collapsed to his knees as his tears started. "But why? Did I do something wrong?"

Vegeta had heard enough. _'That Kakarot is a damn fool. Not even thinking of others.'_

The Prince's raised voice carried over the mumbles of the crowd. "This is bullshit."

A few quick strides brought him to the crying boy. He reached down and pulled him to his feet. "Get up, Gohan. If he doesn't want to be transported back, then we'll go find him and drag his ass back."

Hope shown on the boy's face. "Really?"

Vegeta nodded and turned towards the elder Briefs. "Doctor, is that ship fueled? We need some food supplies for a few months as well."

Dr Briefs nodded. "Yes, I saw no reason to defuel it. It's had recent repairs to the inside as well. I'll grab a large box of the long term emergency food capsules out of the lab for you."

Vegeta looked down at the boy next to him. "Go grab a few changes of clothes."

As the three males moved to go inside, Bulma felt herself begin to panic. "No! Wait, Vegeta!"

He turned at his name to look at her.

She rushed up to him and grabbed onto the front of his shirt as tears began to fall from her eyes. "You can't go! What if something happens?"

Vegeta looked around nervously at the watching group. Swallowing down his reluctance to show affection in front of others, he reached out and pulled her head in close to him for a quick hug. "Bulma, we'll be back. It won't be that long."

With that he turned and strode inside.

Bulma stared after him for several long minutes.

Growing irritated at the wait, Porunga spoke up again, startling those below him. "I'm still here. Make your wishes or release me back to my slumber."

Taking a few deep breaths, Bulma moved back to Dende. "Wish Krillin back to life."

Looking up at the dragon, Dende spoke. **{I wish the warrior known as Krillin were alive again.}**

The dragon's eyes glowed brightly red again. "Your wish has been granted. I even reassembled his tattered body and his clothing for you."

A bright light engulfed the area to the side of the dragon balls for a moment, then faded to reveal Krillin looking down at his body. He grinned up at everyone. "Hey! I'm alive again, and in one piece!"

A low rumble from behind the domes drew Bulma's attention. She watched as the round ship swiftly lifted off. She quickly wiped her eyes and turned to Dende. With a half smile, Bulma gave him the final wish. "There are three dead warriors on the planet of King Kai. Wish that one of them be brought back to life."

Dende frowned. "I'm not sure if he can do it this way."

Taking a deep breath he began. **{I wish that one of the dead Earth warriors on King Kai's world be revived.}**

Porunga was silent for a long moment. "I have spoken with the Northern Kai. His warriors have decided that the one named Yamcha is to be revived. Please state the wish again."

Dende shouted the wish. **{I wish that the Earth warrior named Yamcha be revived!}**

The dragon's eyes glowed bright one last time. "You're wish has been granted. Farewell!"

Porunga began to glow, then vanished as the dragon balls took to the sky and scattered.

Everyone looked back in time to see the bright light fade and Yamcha appear. He gave a wide smile and laugh. "Hey everyone! It's great to be back!"

His gaze fell upon Bulma, who was staring up into the empty sky. Giving a smirk, he slid up to his old girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her.

Bulma jumped and jerked away from him. Spinning around she looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh! Um. Hello, Yamcha. Welcome back."

He went to embrace her in a hug and she side stepped out of his reach.

Smiling, Yamcha gave her a good look. "What's wrong, Bulma? I know we weren't together when I died and it's been on again and off again for years, but I did a lot of thinking during my time in Otherworld. I think we should give it another shot. I know it will work out great this time."

He opened his arms and stepped forward to hug her again and this time she jerked backwards.

Bulma gave him a half-hearted smile. "I'm sorry, Yamcha. There can never be an us again. That time has passed and I've moved on."

Now Yamcha frowned. "Moved on? To who?"

Bulma looked away. "I can't say. He's not here to defend himself."

Yamcha laughed. "Oh, I get it. You're making up some new boyfriend to make me jealous. Ok, I'll let you play your little game for a bit."

Still laughing, he wandered off into the dispersing group of Namekians.

Krillin walked up to Bulma and stopped beside her. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help hear what was said. You seemed pretty serious to me. Did you really find someone new?"

Bulma turned to the shorter man and gave him a quick hug and a smile. "Yeah, I did. And he's not such a bad guy. So far he seems to be pretty good with kids."

Krillin raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "Oh, is it someone I know?"

The smile left Bulma's face and she looked away.

Krillin rested a hand on her arm. "I take it that he is someone I know. And from your reaction and refusal to say who, it's not someone that will go over well."

Bulma refused to look at him. "No one is going to understand. He's changed, though. He's been trying to change."

Krillin pulled her in for another hug. "I'm not going to judge or pry. Just know that I'll be here for you if you need a friend."

Suddenly Bulma stiffened. "Oh, no. I need to go warn Mom and Dad not to say anything."

Leaving the ex-monk standing there, she ran in search of her parents.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta and Gohan were strapped into their seats watching the view screens as the space ship left the planet behind.

Gohan stared as Earth grew smaller and smaller. He took a deep breath, feeling a bit nervous and excited. This was only his second time in space.

He looked over at the Saiyan Prince. "Do you really think we can find my Daddy?"

Vegeta quirked an eyebrow at him. "We're going to try. We have a few weeks before we get to the first planet. Best case for him is if he ended up there. It's not under Planet Trade Organization control."

As the craft settled into a smooth, programmed flight, the Saiyan rose from his chair. "Ok. Time for training. We need to take care of some of your weak points."

Gohan unbuckled and scrambled after him into the training area. "What am I learning today?"

Vegeta gave him a bitter laugh. "Oh, this isn't going to be any fun, but it needs done."

He looked down at the boy. "Brace yourself. This is going to hurt like hell."

Gohan backed up nervously and the Prince dashed behind him.

Holding the boy by the shoulders with one arm, he slid his hand down the child's spine before moving to squeeze. "It's time to train your tail."

Later Gohan laid on the bed, teeth gritted with the pain in his throbbing tail. He felt Vegeta stroking it, trying to sooth away the ache. He couldn't help the twing of betrayal he felt towards the Saiyan. _'He knows how bad this hurts. Why does he have to do this to me?'_

As if reading the boy's thoughts, the Prince spoke. "I know it hurts, but in a few days you won't feel anything but the pressure if your tail is grabbed. It's best to get this out of the way now instead of someone trying to use the weakness against you in battle. There you'd end up dead."

Gohan nodded mutely in understanding.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan woke up in an unfamiliar place. He was confused and his tail still ached. He heard movement and for a moment began to panic. _'Oh no! Mom's come to get me!'_

Just as he was about to scream, Vegeta moved into his line of sight. Gohan blinked and tried to slow his racing heart as memories of yesterday flooded back.

 _'We're in space. Just me and Vegeta.'_ A large smile lit up his face and he relaxed totally.

"What are you grinning like an idiot about?" Vegeta's gruff voice drew his gaze again.

Gohan sat up and now his smile was all for the Prince. "Just thinking that Mom can never get to me out here. That even if she managed to get a ship, you'd take care of her."

Vegeta grunted and tossed a capsule to the boy. "There is your breakfast ration. Not what we've been used to, but it's food. You're grandmother has made us soft."

He glanced over the boy in front of him. "Hurry up and eat. Then we will do some training."

Instinctively, Gohan curled up his tail and hid it behind him.

Seeing the child's reaction, Vegeta couldn't hold back a laugh. "Later this evening for tail training. We have other things to do this morning."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Concentrating intently on everything around him, Gohan closed his eyes. He laughed at himself for the action. With the blindfold he had on, it didn't matter if his eyes were open or not. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he searched for any scent that was different.

Off to his left was the earthy musk that was Vegeta. He could picture the Saiyan in his mind standing there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Gohan frowned. _'He's probably disgusted with me. I've been trying to do this for months. I just don't understand how I'm supposed to find this bot. It's made of metal and smells just like everything else. I wish I had hearing like a Namekian. Then maybe I could find it by it's electrical sounds.'_

The boy growled in frustration and tried to focus. Opening his mouth he began to pant from the effort. As the air rushed over a particular spot on the roof of his mouth, he froze. He could almost taste a scent, sort of metallic and sharp. Swinging his head back and forth he purposefully sucked in the air now. His covered eyes narrowed. _'THERE!'_

Rushing forward at great speed, he brought his hands up and clapped them together around a cool hard object.

Reaching one hand up he pulled down his blindfold. There in his grasp was the elusive bot. He let out a whoop of joy.

Clapping cause Gohan to spin around towards the Prince. Blushing in embarrassment, he dropped his gaze.

Vegeta regarded the boy. "It's about time you figured it out."

Gohan slumped his shoulders and turned away.

The rough hand that ruffled his hair made him freeze. "You did good."

Wide eyes turned and looked up at the Prince in hope.

Vegeta crossed his arms, gaze intent on the child. "We'll have to start working on your self confidence."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The loud beeping of the comlink caused the two occupants of the ship to stop mid fight.

Vegeta frowned as he made his way to the console. Gohan following at his heels. "I wonder what's wrong. This isn't the normal communications schedule we set up with the old man."

Dropping into the chair, the Saiyan flipped on the video link. It wasn't Dr Briefs' image that greeted them.

A fuming Bulma glared at Vegeta. "I just **now** found out that we had a comlink to your ship! It's been over two weeks!"

Vegeta scowled at the screaming woman. "I thought you knew and were avoiding talking to us."

These words caused Bulma to let out a shriek. "WHAT! You're the ass who's in space!"

The blue haired woman buried her face in her hands and began to wail. "Oh no! I knew it! You just used me! You're off to find whatever woman you left behind!"

The Prince's lip lifted in a snarl as his temper started to flare. "What the hell are you talking about woman? I would never do such a thing. I'm not some man whore."

Bulma dropped her hands and glared at Vegeta. "You better not if you know what's good for you! I've been so sick and it's all **YOUR** fault!"

Vegeta lifted an eyebrow and glared at the woman. "I haven't been there how is..."

Another wail from Bulma cut off his words. "I'm ruined! You better not come back here you ass!"

Tears dripped down her cheeks as she took a few deep breaths. "Please hurry back. I miss you so much!"

The comlink went dark leaving two confused males.

Gohan slid out from where he'd been hiding behind a chair. "What was that about?"

Vegeta gave him a look of utter confusion. "I have no idea."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan watched on the view screen as the green-brown planet grew larger. A few glints gave away the location of spacecraft in orbit. Practically bouncing in his seat, his voice was laced with excitement. "So this is the first planet we're checking? Do you really think my Daddy will be there?"

"Hnn." Vegeta grunted as he watched the control panel for the incoming hail he knew they'd soon receive.

As if on cue, the communications button lit up and a beep went off. Flipping the switch to audio only, he flipped it on.

A nasally voice came over the speakers. "This is planet Druax Space Authority to unknown vessel. You are entering our planetary space. Please state your origination planet and intent."

Vegeta only paused for a moment. He'd been expecting this and had planned during the last few weeks. "This is Capsule Two of planet Earth. We seek resupply and some time planetside."

There was silence for a moment before the voice spoke again. "We did not know that Earth was capable of galactic travel. We have it listed as low tech level."

The Prince took a breath and responded. "This is only our second exploratory vessel. Earth is new to this."

Again there was a silence before a reply came. "Very well, Earth ship. Welcome to planet Druax. Please enjoy your stay."

Vegeta smirked. The chances of someone recognizing his voice were very low here. Getting onto the planet had been easier than expected.

As he maneuvered the ship into a turn to the docking station assigned to them, the smile fell from his face. There sitting in the next station was a ship he never wished to see. Medium sized and sleek, the logo on the side caused his blood to run cold. Stylized lettering proclaimed 'Galactic Patrol'.

The Saiyan dropped his head into his hands. "Shit."


	9. Only Human

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*A little cameo in here. And Jaco isn't crossover, it's cannon to the Dragon Ball world. My favorite quote in all of Jaco is from Tights when she's told she's two days late. "Sorry, my bad. My ship was attacked by Godzilla." Remember this is AU and that Dragon Ball timelines are multiverse. One little change can cause a split and a new timeline. Makes things interesting for time travelers. ;) We've already had a HUGE split. I've got to cover stuff happening back on Earth that will effect the future so there will be little things with Bulma going on separately for a few chapters.*_

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **" word _"_** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 9: Only Human**

Vegeta carefully finished landing the space ship at the docking pad. Initiating the shut down sequence, he unbuckled and leapt to his feat and turned to the boy sitting beside him. "Put on your loosest clothing and hide your tail."

Picking up on the Prince's agitation, Gohan looked up at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"

The Saiyan grunted as he began searching through compartments. "Trouble if we aren't careful. I could blow them up, but, that defeats the point of trying to stay out of hell."

Stepping into the bathing room, Vegeta began to rummage though the cabinet. With a snort he pulled out a small jar of petroleum jelly. Popping off the lid he stuck a finger in, frowning at the greasy feel and smell. Scooping out a portion he set down the jar and rubbed the ointment between both hands. With a grimace of disgust he plunged both hands into his hair, slicking down the strands from their gravity defying peaks. Pulling a few strands forward, he styled his hair down until satisfied.

Scooping up some more, he turned to the door. "Gohan, come here."

Rushing in the boy skidded to a stop. "What do you need..."

Words died on Gohan's lips at the sight of the Saiyan with his hair hanging down his back and bangs hanging in front. "Wow. You look different."

Vegeta nodded in agreement before sticking his hands into the boy's hair and slicking it down to brush his shoulders. "Good. We don't need recognized. Saiyan hair is too distinctive."

Going to his bed and shuffling through his clothes, the Prince sighed. _'I guess my preference for form fitting has come back to bite me.'_

Grabbing a shirt, he tore it in a spiral and wrapped it around his waist as a sash over his tail.

Digging once again into his belongings, Vegeta pulled out a couple odd objects. _'Good thing I still have some of the prepaid credsticks. There should be enough for our needs on this planet.'_

Gohan hurried up to the Saiyan wearing a sweatshirt that hung past his hips. Vegeta gave him a nod of satisfaction. He keyed open the exit hatch. "Keep your chi suppressed as low as you can. We're pretending to be normal humans. And do not call me by my name."

Walking down the ramp, Vegeta prepared himself mentally. _'I will not kill these useless weaklings.'_

They were met at the end of the docking bay by a bored looking, blue skinned, male in uniform. He looked over Vegeta and Gohan with a sneer. "Earthlings, eh. I need your names and a 1000 credit docking fee."

 _'1000 credits? That's preposterous!'_ Vegeta bit back the urge to destroy him. Instead he ground out his words through clenched teeth. "Doesn't 1000 credits seem a bit high?"

The blue male gave him a haughty look. "Take it or leave the planet. Your choice."

With a snarl, Vegeta handed over one of the credsticks to be scanned. The worker eyed the credstick design for a moment before shrugging and connecting it to his device then returning it. "Ok. You're fee is paid. Now I need your name."

The Saiyan scowled at him. "Briefs."

The worker raised an eyebrow. "Just Briefs?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Yes. It's a family name."

There was tapping on the device. "And the boy's name?"

The Prince looked down at the child. "Gohan."

More tapping, then the blue male turned his back to them and began to walk away. "Very well. You're paid up for 24 hours. Don't cause any trouble."

Vegeta clenched his fists in suppressed anger.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Following close on Vegeta's heels, Gohan gawked at the shops they were passing. _'I wonder what sort of cool things are in there?'_

Suddenly his stomach growled and he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Um, guess I'm hungry."

Vegeta gave him a look. "We're going to get food first anyway. I can ask around there about your father. I'm sure he'd find any place with food and they'd definitely remember him."

They both paused in mid step and sniffed the air. Gohan's stomach demanded they investigate. "Oh, that smells good!"

Nodding, Vegeta turned towards the semi-rundown building the scent came from. Stepping inside he noticed that, though the building needed repairs, it was very clean. He looked around at the large number of individuals occupying the place. _'Seems popular, too.'_

A small group in white and black uniforms sitting in the corner drew his attention. With a light snarl, he suppressed the urge to either blast them or leave. Leaving would likely draw attention and make them look guilty of something. Pushing down his instincts, he led Gohan to a table as far away from what were obvious members of the Galactic Patrol.

Once seated, they were approached by waitstaff.

The heavyweight male eyed them. "What'll it be."

Vegeta gave him a glare. "Two drinks and two orders of whatever the house special is and keep it coming until we say we are done."

The large waiter scribbled a note on his electric pad and wandered off.

As their meal came out, Vegeta listened intently to the conversations going on around him. The table right behind Gohan seemed to have the most interesting topic. Three purple males sat in loud conversation as they drank.

The first one seemed to have the most information. "Didja hear? Them there Galactic Patrolmen are looking for some renegade from the PTO. They're afraid he's going to enslave this planet. Musta been fairly high up if they are worried about him."

Vegeta felt a twinge of concern. _'They can't be looking for me. They were already here when we landed.'_

The second one nodded. "I heard that a whole bunch of them higher ups died with Frieza on that planet Namek."

The third one scoffed. "I say good riddance. Took out the last of them damn Saiyans as well. Universe is a better place now."

The Prince fought back the urge to stand up and blast the trio into dust.

A while later, Vegeta and Gohan were slowing down on their eating when a short person in a white and black uniform stopped at their table. His large multifaceted eyes stood out against the blue skin of his face. He looked them over. "So you're from Earth. I've been there before. Rather primitive backwater planet. I'm surprised you made it off."

Vegeta eyed him warily. "Are you always this rude or are we just special?"

The alien looked at him for a moment, then went into a routine of poses. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Jaco the Galactic Patrolman!"

Vegeta and Gohan could only stare at him while thinking the same thing. _'Is he hoping to become part of the Ginyu Force?'_

Ignoring their looks, Jaco seated himself at the table. "So now you know who I am. What are your names?"

The Saiyan barely paused while finishing his meal. "I'm Briefs. That's Gohan."

Jaco gave him a curious look. "When I've visited your planet before, I met a man named Briefs. You don't look much like him."

Vegeta shrugged. "He's the boy's grandfather. We're just related."

Jaco gave a slight smile. "Oh, then you must know his daughter, Tights."

"Never met her." Vegeta didn't even look up. "Her father mentioned her once I think. Bulma never really does."

"Oh, you know Bulma? She was still fairly young last time I saw her." Jaco nodded to himself.

Just then, the waiter came up, brandishing an electronic pad. "Since you two seem to be done, I brought the bill."

Vegeta handed him a credstick to run. The waiter eyed it a moment then ran it with a shrug.

The Saiyan decided now was the best time to ask what they came here for. "We're looking for someone. Tall, black hair like the boy. Goes by the name of Goku. Large appetite like us. You probably have seen a lot who fit that description come in here."

The waiter gave him a bewildered look as he handed the credstick back. "I've never seen or heard of anyone who ate like you two. You'll be the talk of all the dining places here for a long time. You ate an amazing amount of food."

Gohan gave a depressed sigh. Vegeta gave a small scowl and took back the credstick.

Jaco eyed the credstick intently. "You know, that design is most common with the Planet Trade Organization. I wouldn't think that Earthlings would visit their worlds, much less return from them."

There was silence for a moment, then Gohan spoke. "Earth's only sent ships to Namek."

Vegeta sat back and crossed his arms. "Earth is new to this. We take what scraps we can get."

Jaco accepted that answer with a shrug.

"You know, you are all lucky. Your planet was almost cleansed of people by an evil alien. It's lucky I was sent there to protect it."

Two sets of black eyes looked at him intently as he continued his story. "Yes. The Galactic Patrol detected the pod being launched and traced the trajectory to Earth. Being a super elite, I was dispatched to take care of it. It was probably a really young one since Earth is so primitive, but those Saiyans are monsters. I watched and watched the sky but no pod hit, so it must have missed Earth. Good thing to for that Saiyan baby. I'd have destroyed it."

Feeling Gohan's chi begin to rise, Vegeta kicked him under the table and gave him a hard look. Hands still clenched in fists, Gohan looked up at the Prince. Gritting his teeth, he ran from the building.

Jaco turned to watch him go. "Is the child alright?"

Maintaining a blank look, Vegeta rose. A lie slid easily off his lips. "The boy is soft hearted. Talk about killing upsets him. Now I need to go find him."

Without looking behind him, Vegeta left the diner.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan ran down the streets, taking random turns. Soon his flight brought him to a dead end. Old broken containers and trash littered the ground. The boy climbed inside one of the large, empty metal boxes and curled into a ball, trying to control his emotions and power. _'I hate him! I hate him! Those things he said about killing Daddy! I don't think those Patrol people are very good guys.'_

As he slowly calmed down, Gohan came to realize two things. One, he didn't know how to find Vegeta since they were suppressing their chi. Two, he wasn't alone in the ally anymore.

A rough hand grabbed the back of his shirt and he allowed himself to be pulled from the container. He was turned to face an almost pig like stranger with mottled green skin.

The pig thing sneered at him. "Well, well. What do we have here boys. Another scrawny little weakling."

He tossed Gohan to roll down the ally. A large foot to his back stopped his tumbling. Looking up the boy saw it was another creature similar to the one who threw him. Glancing around, three others of the same race were laughing at the scene.

A whimper drew Gohan's attention. Jumping to his feet he turned to see a small pink child weeping in the grip of one of the pig beings. The child's source of distress was evident as it was being dangled by it's long ears.

Gohan felt a sympathetic twang at the sight and growled in anger. "Put him down!"

The pig beings laughed harder at his demand before the leader spoke. "Or what? You're going to tickle us to death?"

The leader pulled a battered scouter out of his pocket and attached it to his face. Numbers flashed across it. "A power level of 10. How pathetic. You're even more useless than the weakling you're trying to defend."

The pig holding the pink child shook it roughly, eliciting a cry of pain. "You wan't me to let him go? Well come make me."

The pig thing was cut off mid laugh as Gohan sped forward and drove a knee into his gut.

Grip loosened, the pink child pulled his ears free and rushed to hide behind his savior.

"T-thank you," the small child stuttered.

Gohan just turned to face the advancing creatures.

The leader scowled and made a gesture to the others. "I don't know how you did that, but you're going to pay"

Gohan found his arms and neck grappled as he was held still.

The leader stalked up to him with a chi ball forming in his hand. "I'm going to burn your pretty little flesh off so that even your mama won't recognize you when you go crying into her skirts."

Gohan had been wrestling mentally with what to do. He knew he'd have to give himself away a bit to get out of this. He was struggling with how to best do it when his mother was mentioned. A trace of fear went through him then left with his rational thought as anger blazed.

Letting out a feral snarl, Gohan arched backwards into the one holding his neck. He slid his tail around that one's neck and yanked the creature away hard. Pulling himself up, he kicked both legs out sideways, ridding himself of any restraint.

Now released, Gohan dropped to the ground and stood facing the leader. His tail lashing angrily behind him.

The leader seemed frozen in surprise for a moment, then powered up the chi into a larger blast and threw it.

Gohan powered up, shattering the scouter and throwing everything around him back with his energy. He reached out, blocking the blast. As the chi dissipated, the leader gaped in fear. Gohan dashed forward with a punch, knocking the creature unconscious. Looking around the others seemed to have been knocked out by his power up or fainted. With a deep breath he powered down.

Turning towards the pink child, he smiled and offered his hand. "Are you ok?"

The reaction from the child was not one he was expecting. Eyes wide with fear, the child backed up and circled around Gohan. The child pointed a finger at him. "T-t-tail...S-sayian!"

With that shriek, the pink child ran away in terror.

Glancing behind him, Gohan realized his mistake. _'Vegeta's going to kill me! I have to find him now!'_

Quickly wrapping his tail back under his shirt, Gohan dashed back the way he came. _'How? How? I can't sense him!'_

He took a deep breath to calm himself and paused. _'Oh, I'm such an idiot.'_

Raising his head he sniffed the air. _'There. I can smell he was somewhere around here. I'll just try and follow. This would be so much easier if there weren't so many different scents around here.'_

Moving swiftly through the increasingly crowded roads, Gohan would only pause to scent the air.

Then there were screams and the press of other humanoids disappeared as they scattered. He barely had time to comprehend what was happening before he was grabbed from behind.

The nasally voice of his captor washed over him. "Don't fight kid, or I'll kill you. You're my ticket out of here."

Blaster shots rang out, hitting close to them. A shout followed. "Surrender Kumqua!"

Gohan's captor spun around, holding him as a shield. Facing them with blasters drawn was the Galactic Patrol squad. "One move and this boy dies. You little do gooders wouldn't want an innocent death on your hands would you?"

The squad leader gritted his teeth, then signaled his men to lower their weapons. "Fine. Just let the boy go."

Kumqua let out a laugh and unleashed a chi blast at them. With the dust of the explosion providing cover, he ran, Gohan still in his clutches.

Running blindly down the now empty streets, Kumqua kept turning to look behind him. Pausing for breath, he didn't notice the figure standing off to the side of the road in the shadows until it spoke. "If it isn't Kumqua. So you are the one that the Patrol is looking for."

Startled, Kumqua jumped to face the speaker. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you don't know who you're messing with. If you run now I might even let you live."

An evil laugh echoed from the shadows and across the street. "Well, now, I can't do that. You have something that belongs to me and I will have it back."

Kumqua snorted, though the voice sounded somehow familiar. "Don't make me laugh. There isn't a single individual on this planet that can take me. That's why they called in their wimpy little Galactic Patrol. Soon I'll have total control of this place."

"Really." The voice was calm. A few steps brought the speaker out of the shadows and into the light.

Kumqua felt himself tense up in fear. "V-vegeta! You're supposed to be dead!"

The Saiyan smirked evilly. "Oh I was."

Kumqua took several shaky steps back. "I don't have anything of yours. I'm pretty sure I'd remember."

The Prince glared at him. "Let the boy go."

Gripping the child tighter, Kumqua took another step back. "I don't think so. If he's that important to you, I'll keep him."

Vegeta looked the boy in the eyes. **"Get over here."**

Gohan drew on his power and kicked himself free. Landing on his feet, he rushed over to Vegeta's side and looked up in fear. **"I messed up. There was this fight and they saw my tail. I'm sorry."**

Vegeta scowled down at the boy. **"We need to get off this planet. Now."**

Hearing running footsteps, Vegeta looked back up at the stunned Kumqua and smirked. "You will make a very nice distraction."

The Prince was suddenly in front of him, fist planted deep in his stomach. Kumqua didn't even have time to react as a hand came down on his neck rendering him unconscious.

Vegeta had just taken a few steps back from the fallen Kumqua when the Patrol squad came rushing up and trained their blasters on the scene.

The squad leader took in scene before him in surprise. "How did you stop him?"

Vegeta crossed his arms and shrugged. "I just hit him really hard."

The entire squad looked at him skeptically.

The Prince shrugged it off and tried to appear humble. "If you don't mind, my nephew has been severely traumatized and I'd like to get him out of here."

Catching the hint, Gohan rushed forward and clung to Vegeta's leg.

The squad leader looked him over. "You've done a great service to the Galactic Patrol. We would like to reward you. Why don't you come with us."

Gohan let out a loud sob.

All eyes looked at the child.

Vegeta picked the boy up and held him against his chest. Gohan hid his face in his shirt. "My nephew is very upset. Allow me to take him somewhere he feels calm."

Reluctantly, a nod of permission was granted and Vegeta strode purposefully towards the docking bays.

Once on the ship, the Saiyan closed the hatch and ramp. He loosened his arms and Gohan dropped to the ground and looked up at him. "It's hard playing a crying little kid."

Vegeta nodded to him. "Strap in. We need to get out of here while we can."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The Galactic Patrol squad looked up at the sound of engines to see the round ship lift through the sky.

One of the members turned to their leader. "Should we go after them?"

The leader shook his head. "No. They just seemed a bit shy. Probably not used to this."

He turned towards Kumqua. "Let's take care of this trash."

Several hours later as the Patrol was finishing loading their ship, one of the planet council members came rushing up to them. "You can't leave yet! We have reports that a Saiyan was seen on planet!"

One of the Patrol brushed him off. "Fft. The Saiyans are all dead. The last one died on that planet called Namek."

The councilor turned to face him. "I'm serious. There were six witnesses."

Again he was waved away. "I'm sure we'd have noticed a large muscular male with a tail running around. That and the planet seems to be intact. If you have witnesses it couldn't have been a Saiyan. You know how blood thirsty they are."

Growing angry, the councilor turned away. "It was a young one. A boy. He did attack five of them. According to the other witness, they were attacking him and the boy."

That got a laugh from the Patrol. "A boy? And you think it was a Saiyan. Their planet was destroyed over twenty years ago. No females survived. There's no way they could be breeding."

"Fine, but all deaths will be on your hands." The councilor stormed off.

The Patrol began to joke with each other about it. "A Saiyan. Can you believe such ridiculous nonsense?"

Another chimed in. "We could always send Jaco to kill it!"

They were still laughing when one of the prisoner guards rushed up. "We have to go now! Kumqua woke up terrified and he was babbling. Apparently the one who took him down was the Saiyan Prince Vegeta!"

Silence reigned for several moments before their leader spoke up. "You've got to be kidding me! Those two were Saiyans! No wonder they got off the planet so fast."

He tapped a finger to his chin thinking. "That's really odd behavior for a Saiyan, though. And totally out of character for what we know of Vegeta. Plus, I thought he was supposed to be dead. That boy though. If he's a Saiyan, he shouldn't exist."

"Are we going after them?" One of the Patrol spoke up nervously.

The leader shook his head. "No. Let them go. If that was Vegeta, we'd be no match for him. We can just report this back to command."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma was sitting out on the patio, quietly sipping some herbal tea and watching the morning clouds cross the sky.

She was lost so deep in her thoughts, she never heard the door open and close, or the approaching footsteps until a voice spoke from behind her. "Bulma, can we please talk."

Startled, she jumped and spun around in her chair, spilling tea across the ground. Her surprise turned to a scowl when she saw who it was. "Look at what you made me do, Yamcha! Don't sneak up on me like that."

"I'm sorry." The scarred man ran his hand through his hair and looked at her apologetically.

With a sigh, Bulma set the cup on the ground and turned back to watch the sky again. "It's ok. I was just out here thinking."

Yamcha relaxed a bit and sat in the chair by hers. He too took watched the sky for a moment before speaking. "It's great that you've let Krillen and me stay here for the last three weeks."

She smiled. "Of course. You two are my friends."

Yamcha heaved out a sigh. "That's just it. I thought we were more than friends. I mean I know we weren't together when I died, but I always thought we'd be together when I was wished back. It just seems like you've been avoiding me."

Bulma turned to meet his gaze with a sad smile. "I've not been avoiding you on purpose. I've just had a lot on my mind. Especially this last week."

He smiled brightly and leaned over to hug her. His smile faltered as she leaned back.

With a sigh, Bulma took his hand in hers. "I want you to know that you'll always be my friend and I hope that I will always be yours. It's just things happened and things changed. Please understand. We can't go back to how it was. I fell in love with someone else."

Yamcha felt his heart ache at her words. "I see. I had thought you were joking. Trying to make me jealous."

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Do I know him? Who is he?"

Bulma nervously plucked at the hem of her shirt and looked away from him. "Yes, you know him, but I just can't say who he is."

Yamcha looked at her in confusion. "Why not?"

Bulma stared into the heavens. "It's...err...complicated. He's not here right now and I don't want to say anything without him here."

He looked away from her. "Does he love you?"

She let out a sigh. "I don't know. He does seem to care for me at least somewhat."

Yamcha crossed his arms and sat quietly in thought. "You will tell us eventually right?"

Turning to him, Bulma nodded. "Yes. But not right yet. I want everyone to see how he is with me."

Taking a deep breath, Yamcha gave her a weak smile. "As long as you are happy."

They sat in silence for a while, watching the clouds roll by.

Finally Yamcha stood and faced her. "Well, Bulma. I guess this is it for a while. My baseball team has a training camp that starts this afternoon. I'll be gone a few months."

He reached down and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm very glad we had this talk. I just wanted to leave on friendly terms. I'm going to try and be here when you wish back Tien and Chiaotzu."

Dropping her hand, he made his way back to the door.

Bulma called after him. "Be safe and we'll see you then."

Yamcha lifted his hand in acknowledgement and disappeared inside to pack.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Krillin was watching TV when a bang from the front door and the sound of shuffling bags announced that Bulma was back from shopping. He heard her steps as she walked down the hall and into the kitchen. Curious, he sneaked out to see what was going on.

Bulma swept into the kitchen to find her mother sitting and sipping tea. Grinning like mad, she upended her shopping bag on the table. The older woman looked on delight.

Out in the hall, just out of sight, Krillin listened in. He knew something was up with Bulma, but just hadn't figured out what yet.

Bulma held up a little yellow outfit. "Oh, Mom! Isn't this one adorable?"

Panchy squealed in delight over the baby item. "Oh dear, that is just to precious. It works for a boy or a girl."

"I know, Mom. I can't wait until we can tell the sex. Then the real shopping can begin!" Bulma grinned in glee at the thought.

The older Briefs woman smiled at her daughter. "Oh you have a bit more to go before they can tell. You're barely showing. No one would even notice if they didn't know."

Bulma let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness for that. Gives me some more time before I have to start to explain."

Out in the hall, Krillin's eyes had gone wide. _'Bulma's pregnant? Wow! I guess that does explain how sick she had been getting.'_ He quietly waited for the women to say more.

"These are all so cute." Mrs Briefs began gathering up the small clothes, then paused. "Do you think the baby will have a tail?"

Bulma smiled at her mother. "Probably. Gohan does and this little baby will be a half Saiyan, too."

Krillin's jaw dropped and he had to cover his mouth to mute his gasp of surprise. _'Half Saiyan?! You've got to be kidding me! Bulma had an affair with Goku?!'_

Hearing the women moving in the kitchen, the bald man slipped quietly down the hall, his mind deep in thought on how to confront Bulma.


	10. Derelict

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*My muses decided that they want to do some interesting stuff in the future and wanted to establish some things. Setting some stuff up for the distant future as well. Last chapter they made me rewrite the whole Yamcha/Bulma scene. Seems they think poor Yamcha gets to much abuse. The scene with Krillen making a very wrong assumption had me giggling like an idiot for a few hours after it came to me. It was just to good not to include.*_

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **" word _"_** = Saiyago

 **"word"** = unknown language (you all should figure out what it is)

 **Chapter 10: Derelict**

The Briefs' were quietly enjoying breakfast when Krillin slunk in. Sitting down he kept casting nervous glances at Bulma. Filling his plate he began to eat in an uncomfortable silence.

Finally Bulma couldn't take anymore. "Alright, Krillin, what's wrong? You haven't seemed yourself for the last couple days. You even skipped breakfast yesterday."

Krillin looked down at his half finished breakfast, then glanced at Bulma's parents. "Can this wait? It's probably a rather personal thing."

Bulma gave a small laugh. "Oh, Ok. Would you like to talk to my Dad alone?"

Blushing, Krillin shook his head. "No, no. It's not about me."

He ducked his head down in embarrassment. "It's um, about you."

Bulma let out sigh. "You know I like you as a friend, Krillin, but I will not go out with you."

Krillin jerked his head up. "NO! It's about you being pregnant with Goku's baby!"

Dead silence fell in the kitchen, followed by the sound of Dr Briefs choking on his toast.

Bulma stared at Krillin with wide eyes, not knowing what to say.

Quickly patting her husband on the back, Mrs Briefs was the first to regain the ability to speak. "Why in the world would you think Bulma was having Goku's baby?"

Krillin blushed deep red. "Well, um, I overheard you two talking in here the other day. It was about how Bulma was pregnant and that the baby was half Saiyan. It's just... I just never expected it."

Bulma dropped her head into her hands with a groan. "How can you seriously think that I slept with Goku? He's my adopted brother for crying out loud! That is just sick!"

She stood up and began to pace in agitation. "For that matter, even if we went with your whacked out theory, I'm only a couple months pregnant. None of us have seen Goku in over five months."

Krillin blinked at her in confusion. "Huh?"

Forgetting that her daughter was trying to keep secrets, Panchy took pity on the man. "Don't be silly. It's that handsome Vegeta's baby."

Krillin leaped to his feet with wide eyes, sending his chair tumbling backwards. "WHAT?! VEGETA?! ARE YOU INSANE?!"

He stared at Bulma in disbelief. "Why? I mean how? He's dead! I saw Frieza kill him on Namek, and just HOW?"

Silently cursing her mother, Bulma looked at her friend with pleading eyes. "I told you it was complicated. When it was wished for everyone killed by Frieza and his henchmen to come back to life, Vegeta was one of those resurrected. Then he was transported back to Earth with the rest of us on the next wish."

She took a deep breath. "Please understand. Something happened when he was dead. I don't know what it was. He might have told Gohan, or maybe Piccolo. He's not like he was when he first came to Earth."

Krillin closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing, trying to come to terms with this turn of events. "So you got together with Vegeta. I so did not see that one coming. That Saiyan is cold and calculating. I'm not sure you know what you're doing."

He leveled his gaze at Bulma. "I suppose I can accept it if I must. You always did have a thing for bad boys. I saw another side to him for those few days we were sort of allies on Namek. Then, right before he died, he told us what Frieza had done to his people. Some of what he himself had gone through."

Krillin righted his chair and sat back down in it. He turned back to look Bulma in the eyes. "So where is he? Did he run off as soon as he found out about the baby?"

Bulma shook her head from side to side. "He doesn't know. I haven't told him. He took my Dad's spaceship when we learned that Goku was alive and wouldn't let us wish him back. So he decided that he'd go find Goku and bring him back. He took Gohan with him, so he should be back."

Krillin lifted an eyebrow. "You let him take Gohan? What did Chi-Chi have to say about that?"

All three members of the Briefs family stiffened up. Their faces turned stony. Krillin looked between them.

Bulma let out a growl of anger. "I hope that evil woman never sees Gohan again. The stuff she did to that poor boy. I don't know what would have happened to him if Vegeta hadn't stepped in. At least Vegeta can keep him safe from her in space."

"What happened for Vegeta to be the better option?" Krillin's voice was laced with concern.

"It's a bit of a story." Bulma leaned back in her chair and regaled him with the tale.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta let out a growl of irritation. "BOY!"

Gohan came rushing in to the training area from the sleeping quarters. "I'm here."

The Prince level an intense glare at the child. "What did we discuss, and what did you do wrong?"

Hunching his shoulders and dropping his head, Gohan stared at the floor. They had been over this several times in the last few days. "Always let you know where I am."

Stepping in front of the boy, Vegeta reached out and lifted his head to look him in the eyes. "And why are you supposed to do that?"

Gohan tried to look away to no avail. "Because I ran off when I shouldn't have on Druax."

Vegeta let his hand drop back to his side. "Good. We cannot have a repeat of that on the next planet. We're going into PTO controlled space. You running off could result in your death, or considerably worse."

The Prince moved towards the training area of the ship. "Come. Let's see if we can get you past 250 gravity today."

Gohan's demeanor brightened at the prospect. He followed eagerly.

They had just passed through the doorway when an alarm klaxon began blaring.

With a curse, Vegeta shoved past the Gohan and rushed to the navigation controls. Collision warning flashed across the screen. The Saiyan pressed several controls, firing thrusts on the side of the ship and steering them over the dark shape that could be seen on the view screen.

Gohan hopped into one of the chairs and watched the large object as they moved past it. "What is that?"

Vegeta was just as puzzled. Firing retro thrusts, he slowed them into a lazy drift. Reaching over he switched on the exterior spotlights. A dark, massive ship gleamed in the light.

The boy stared in awe at the site. "Wow! That thing is huge! I wonder if they are friendly."

The Saiyan gave him an odd look. "I've never seen a ship of this design before. It's even bigger than anything Frieza had at his command. It's not even showing up as a space ship on the sensors. Just as an asteroid. No signals coming from it."

Seeing glinting even rows on the side of the craft, Gohan pointed excitedly. "Look. Those look like windows. But there isn't any light."

Vegeta sat back in the pilot's chair, contemplating what to do. "I think it's a ghost ship. Some dead derelict drifting through space. It's still odd that it isn't recognized as a ship."

Gohan looked at him with wide eyes. "So this could have been here for a long time and no one noticed it. Can we go check it out?"

Eyes watching the view screen, Vegeta sat quiet, thinking. Finally, to the fidgeting boy's relief he spoke. "Yes. I to am curious about this craft."

Cautiously guiding their small craft along side the behemoth, the Prince looked for a likely entry. He grunted in satisfaction when he spied what was likely a hatch. He set their auto pilot to keep a steady drift with the ship.

Standing up he turned towards his companion. "Let's get into our space suits. There isn't likely any air over there."

A while later, they were outside the giant ship contemplating it's door. Seeing no obvious way to open it, Vegeta gathered his chi and carefully blasted a hole big enough for them to enter.

They waited several minutes, listening intently for any alarms. Nothing but silence met them.

With a grunt, Vegeta climbed through the opening, gesturing for Gohan to stay close.

Flipping on his helmet light, the Saiyan looked around. They were definitely in an airlock. A short distance away was the matching door, stuck partially open.

He peered through the door into what was apparently a staging room of some sort. Turning sideways he was just able to squeeze past and into the room.

Turning on his own light, Gohan followed. He looked all around, taking in everything he could.

Spying a shape in a corner on some type of chair, the boy moved cautiously towards it. "Um. Hello?"

"Stay behind me!" Hissing at the boy, Vegeta moved in front of what looked like a cloaked person. Feeling no chi emanating from the form, he reached out a hand to touch the cowl. It crumbled into dust that drifted away. A pale skull stared up at him. Behind him Gohan let out a shriek.

The Prince let out a sigh. "Quit acting like a coward. It's just a skeleton. Probably been here who knows how long. I suspect we'll be seeing more of them."

Watching the floating remnants of cloth, Vegeta looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think this ship has been floating a very long time. Whatever artificial gravity this thing had is off as well. There is just the gravity from the bulk of the ship holding things in their place."

Moving towards the interior door, Vegeta was met with resistance as he tried to open it. Pausing, he looked back at the boy who was still staring at the skeleton. "Gohan, come here. We will need to move through here quickly. There is resistance on this door. That means there is at least some air and pressure left in the ship."

When the child reached him, Vegeta shoved the door open and lunged through, hauling Gohan with him. Releasing the door, it was sucked shut with a loud bang by the out rushing air.

The Saiyan grimaced at the sound and listened for any response in the ship, but none came.

Reaching out a finger, Vegeta gathered his chi and burned a large X on the door. "There. Now we will know which one is the exit, provided we don't have to make another in a hurry."

They made their way down the corridor, looking in rooms as they went. It seemed to be storage in this area of the ship.

After inspecting several items closer, they found that anything organic based crumbled into dust when given the lightest touch.

Then there were the bodies. They had come across several. Most seemed to be dressed in some sort of uniform, but some wore more casual looking clothing. Suspicions began to form in Vegeta's mind.

Something about the bodies was bothering the two of them. Something they just couldn't place.

Staring down at yet another figure, it clicked into place for Gohan and his eyes widened. "Tails! They all have tails like us!"

Vegeta squatted down and inspected the form. A gentle brush along the column of bones sent it dissipating. He let out a low growl. "I don't like this."

Nodding his head nervously, Gohan moved closer to the Prince.

Moving farther down the corridor, they came to metal wall blocking their path.

Running his hand over it, Gohan frowned. "This looks like an odd place for a wall."

Vegeta snorted, gathering his chi in his hand. "It's not a wall. It's an emergency compartmentalization door. It seals off part of the ship."

Blasting a careful hole through the door, he climbed beyond. In front of him several paces was another blast door. To the left the hallway split, leading deeper into the ship. Vegeta moved in that direction.

The scenery was the same. Room after room of storage. Skeletal remains scattered about.

They came across another blast door and made quick work of it. Then another and another.

As they neared the center of the ship, things began to change. Storage rooms became mechanical and electrical bays.

Black smudges began to appear, running in lines down the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Vegeta scowled and ran a finger over a mark. It smeared across his glove. "There was some sort of explosion."

Through the next door it got worse. Every surface was blackened. The walls were crumpling in and the floor became a bit uneven.

They stopped before the next door. Fissures and cracks covered it's surface. It bowed towards them at an odd angle. One wall and the roof were pushed out. Bits of the floor were missing into the compartment below. The final wall had given in to whatever pressure had attacked it and it lay in ruins.

Making their way carefully through the hole and around the door, the two males looked on at the destruction.

The floor was totally gone, and when he looked down, Gohan could see another hole in the floor beyond.

The obvious source of destruction was from a room not to far ahead. The wall had blown, strewing rubble about and leaving gaping holes in other walls from the projectiles.

Broken bodies lay all over. Bones blackened instead pale white.

Peering into the source of the carnage, Gohan stood gaping at the site. Blackened metallic bits and wires lay scattered about an enormous room. "W-what happened?"

Looking over the debris, Vegeta grimaced. A look of almost pity covered his face. "Their engine core blew. Probably took out all systems."

He waved his hand towards the bodies scattered around them. "It seems these were the lucky ones. A swift death. The others would have lingered in the dark until oxygen deprivations starved them of life."

Vegeta stared into the abyss above them. The blast had taken out several floors. Floating upwards through the hole, he called after him. "Hurry up. Let's see if we can find the bridge."

The next level came into view as they flew upwards through the large hole. Bodies were strewn about the rubble like matchsticks.

The Prince continued upward. The next floor was the same.

The hole in third floor up from the epicenter was just large enough for them to pass through easily. It led into smaller room than the floors before.

Appearing to be a sleeping chamber, it contained the remains of what looked to have been several beds. Empty and desolate except for one. Gohan stared at the bones curled up on one of the beds.

Vegeta moved to the door and shoved it open. The hallway was desolate. No bodies littered it's floors.

He'd moved a good distance down the hall when he felt Gohan's chi fluctuating somewhere behind him. He turned to chide the boy, only he wasn't there. _'I thought he got it through his head to stay close!'_

Angered, the Prince backtracked looking for the child.

Finding the boy still in the last room, he moved to chastise him.

Getting closer, he felt his anger wash away. Close to the bony figure on the bed floated Gohan. His whole body seemed to tremble and his shoulders shook.

Moving next to the boy, he looked down to see what was concerning him so.

Curled up on bed was the bones of what looked to be a child of maybe seven.

Not seeing a threat, Vegeta turned turned towards Gohan.

The boy stared at the remains with tears streaming down his eyes. His voice was choked as he spoke. "He...he died alone. No one was here with him."

Gohan let out a sob, his voice becoming hysterical. "Is that going to be me if Dad doesn't come back. Am I going to be alone?"

Vegeta felt an unfamiliar feeling twist in his gut. Sometimes he forgot that Gohan was still such a young child. Reacting on some urge he couldn't name, he reached out and grabbed the boy by the shoulders and pulled him close. Small hands clutched at his spacesuit. Still unused to such displays, the Prince felt awkward as he hugged the child to him. "You're not alone. I'm here. I promise I will be here if you need me."

Feeling it was best to get away from the source of Gohan's distress, Vegeta moved them out of the room and down the corridor.

At the end of the hallway, the Saiyan waited while the child he held slowly regained his composure.

Taking deep sniffs, Gohan let go of his hold and looked at Vegeta with shame filled eyes. "I'm sorry I'm so weak."

The Saiyan snorted and gave the child a half smile and he withdrew his arms. "No. You're still a boy. You recognize where you need work. Given time your spirit will strengthen."

Attempting to calm his mind, Gohan closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing for a bit.

He finally looked back up to see Vegeta watching him patiently. "I'm ready to go on."

The Prince gave him a nod and moved towards a large set of double doors. "I think we may have finally found the bridge."

The door resisted in sliding open as Vegeta pushed. He increased the strength he was using and finally it gave, snapping inwards to bang against the wall.

The bodies of the crew lay in their seats as the males looked around.

A small red light flashed into existence on a large computer bank, drawing both sets of eyes to it. Growing brighter, it's glare seemed harsh and out of place.

Gohan moved closer to Vegeta as they both braced for any attack.

A soft voice crackled through the stale air from hidden speakers on the console.

 **"Unidentified personnel detected. Please state your business."**

Gohan leaned in to the Prince. "Do you understand it?"

Vegeta had a puzzled look on his face. "No, but it is almost familiar."

The voice spoke again. **"Unknown language detected. Please continue to** **speak** **so that it may be deciphered."**

Both males looked at each other. There was one word they understood out of that.

The voice repeated. **"Unknown language detected. Please continue to** **speak** **so that it may be deciphered."**

Cautiously, Vegeta address the voice. **"What do you want us to speak? We don't understand what you are saying."**

The voice was quiet for several long minutes, but the light remained bright. **"Lingual** **shift** **detected.** **Applying** **algorithms.** **Please** **state** **your names** **and purpose** **on this** **vessel."**

Gohan looked up at the Prince. **"How does it know some Saiyan?"**

Vegeta gave him a look of contemplation. **"I think this ship is really old. The people look like Saiyans. It's possible that they were our people."**

The voice rang through the air again. **"Please state your names and purpose."**

The Prince raised an eyebrow at the computer adjusting language so fast. **"I am Prince Vegeta and this is Gohan. This ship is derelict in space. We were exploring it."**

Silence for a few moments. **"Calculating** **date and reviewing logs. Please wait. "**

Moments ticked by before it spoke again. **"Date calculated. This computer has been in preservation mode for ten thousand two hundred and sixteen years. Ship's power was terminated by explosion in generator cores. This AI's power supply is built in separate. Energy reserves are low."**

 **"Attempts to contact sister ship at time of disaster failed. Life support failed. Mission failed. AI initiated preservation to relay events in case of future contact."**

Stunned by the age of the ship, Vegeta took a second to compose himself. **"Who were your creators? What was the purpose of this ship?"**

The voice replied. **"This ship was build by Ancient scientists along with it's sister vessel for transport of Saiyan project colonists."**

A small holographic projection of the universe appeared in front of the console. Different planets highlighted as the voice spoke. **"The duty of this ship was to transport colonists to a new planet. Previous planet inhospitable die to the system's star going supernova. Sister ship destination in eastern quadrant. Are you scouts from said planet?"**

Vegeta hissed in dismay at the lighted spot on the projection. His fists clenched in rage.

Gohan looked up at him in worry. **"What's wrong?"**

The Prince took a deep calming breath and attempted to regain his composure. **"That dot. That place. It was planet Vegeta."**

Gohan's eyes grew wide as he looked back at the holograph.

The computer voice spoke again. **"Past tense of planet detected in speech. Was colony relocated? This AI wishes to relay fate of it's passengers to remaining peoples."**

The glare Vegeta gave the computer would have killed any living being. **"No. There was no relocation. The planet was destroyed with everyone on it."**

He attempted to calm his rage. **"If you're looking for the last remaining Saiyans, we are it."**

The voice was silent a long while. **"Extinction of race undesirable to plan. Species must reach true potential. Records indicate Ancients retrieved proto-Saiyans from a world in the northern quadrant. Genetic manipulation used to transform into desired improved species. Fertile crossbreeding with genetic origination stock likely. Interaction of specialized Saiyan genes on crossbreeds probable. Likely outcome for use of species specialized trait is systemic purge of incompatible genes. Use of specialization recommended for species survival. Data files corrupted. Purpose of species creation unknown to this computer. Records indicate origination homeworld here."**

Another dot lit up on the hologram.

Vegeta gasped in shock, staring blankly at the image. All rational thought left his head.

Gohan let out a cry of disbelief.

The voice spoke. **"Verbal reactions indicate surprise. Is planet of origin known?"**

Gohan managed to gasp out a reply. **"T-that. That's Earth! That's where I'm from."**

One again the voice spoke. **"Recommended course of action. Return to this Earth and ensure species survival."**

The hologram vanished. The red light on the console began to dim. **"Generator malfunction. Reserve power failing."**

Vegeta snapped back to reality. **"I need more information about the Saiyans! Show me the data that you have!"**

The voice was fading when it spoke. **"AI shutdown imminent. Initiating data protection self destruct in Three, Two, One."**

The red light vanished and a slight wisp of some rose from the console.

Vegeta snarled in rage, hitting the computer. **"NO! I need that data! Come back on you piece of crap!"**

Growling, the Prince charged up a ball of chi and blasted the computer into oblivion. Fuming, he grabbed Gohan's arm and pulled the boy behind him as he stormed off the bridge and back down the path they'd taken through the ship.

Once back on the Capsule two and stripped of their space suits, Vegeta stomped to the navigation controls and resumed their interrupted route to the next planet.

Gohan sat very quietly, watching the Saiyan. He'd only ever seen Vegeta this angry on Namek when he was collecting the dragon balls.

Vegeta sat brooding over his new knowledge. _'It just gave me little scraps of information. And what it did tell me was that we were someone's damn pet monkey project.'_

He crossed his arms in frustration at his thoughts. _'It did hint that there should be some way to get rid of the weak human taint from the halfbreeds. Perhaps when he grows up the boy and his descendants can revive our species. I just have to figure out what this specialized trait that computer was talking about is.'_

Calming down some from his rage, Vegeta decided that some gravity training would be the best way to finish clearing his mind. Standing, he moved towards the training room. Slight movement in a corner caught his eye.

He turned to look at Gohan and the child cowered in fear at his gaze.

The Prince let out a soft growl and strode over to the boy. Lifting him up from under the armpits, he brought the child to eye level with him. "I'm not going to hurt you. Stop looking at me like that."

Pulling the boy to him, he waved his hand around in a circle. "I'm just frustrated at the little information we did and didn't receive."

Gohan looked down away from Vegeta and spoke in a soft voice. "What that computer said. Does that mean I'm a full Saiyan?"

The Prince set the boy down. "You are and you aren't. You smell like a cross between a human and a Saiyan. It does explain how you can exist, though. And it sounds like there is some way for you to become full Saiyan. We'll have to work on that."

Vegeta gestured the boy forward with his hand. "Come. Our training has been interrupted for long enough. I want you able to handle 300g by the time we return to Earth."

He moved towards the doorway.

Gohan hesitated to follow. "What you said back there. About not leaving me to be alone. Did you mean it?"

The Prince stared at him, giving him a long look. He knelt down in front of the boy and grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Yes, I meant it. I've grown a bit attached to you, Gohan. If your father doesn't come back, I'll keep you. I cannot be a father to you. I don't think I'm capable of that. But I can be your asshole uncle who takes care of you."

Standing back up, Vegeta put a gentle hand on the boy's back and guided him into the training room.


	11. Fight to Survive

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Yes, Goku will be back in another few chapters. Still got a few months to go in story time. Things will happen then. Some evil plot weasels left some seeds in my mind so there will be some definite AU from the way cannon works for a couple things. I'm just setting up a consistency. I now get sighs from my family when I suddenly call or text them asking for names of uncommon fruit for the PTO related bad guys. Got to stick with the themes you know!_

 _I'm going on vacation, so there won't be a chapter for the next two weeks. This one is about twice as long as average so hopefully that helps make up for it somewhat.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **{word}** = Namekian

 **"** **word** **"** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 11: Fight to Survive**

Two sets of eyes watched deep into the orb in front of them.

Finally the taller of the two watchers spoke. "Sir, are you sure it was wise to allow them to find the ship?"

The shorter one nodded his head. "Yes. It was needed for them to know their species can continue as pure bloods. We almost lost them twenty years ago, we cannot afford for them to die out now."

The taller frowned. "I'm not sure what good it will do us now. We don't have the luxury of waiting for another generation and both of these two have damaged minds."

The shorter smiled a knowing smile. "There is still plenty of time for part two of the plan. As for part one, I believe it will work out just fine. They will help heal each other. The third has already shown much potential. He can help guide them to the light."

The taller looked off into the distance. "I'm still not sure how this will help us. The Saiyans became as bad as any other monster."

The shorter sighed. "Sometimes, to fight a monster, we must create monsters. We could not guide them. They had to develop on their own in order to find their true potential. When they find it, they will be ready."

The taller began to walk away. "How long do we have?"

A frown finally creased the smaller's face as he moved to follow his companion. "A decade or so, depending on how things go. I hope they will be ready."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

 _It was cold and dark. Emptiness that no sound or light could penetrate. A voice, terrifying and familiar rang out. 'You are a worthless son of a monkey.' The voice's laughter echoed off nothingness. Then it was gone and he was utterly alone._

Vegeta jerked upright in his bed and looked around wildly. Whimpers came from the other bed, and the Prince got up and made his way over. Reaching down he nudged the bed's occupant awake. "Gohan. Wake up."

The boy bolted upright and stared at him with wide eyes. Waking fully he rubbed his face. "I had a nightmare again."

The Prince nodded before rising from the bed. "Me, too."

As he made his way towards the door, Vegeta turned. "Come on. We might as well do some training now that we're awake."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Their training was interrupted by the collision warning system blaring through the ship.

Letting out a growl, Vegeta flipped the emergency shut down on the gravity. _'This is the second time in two weeks! I had less issues in the entire time I was under Frieza's thumb.'_

As they rushed out of the training room, an explosion rocked the rear of the ship, knocking them off their feet. Another soon followed.

Managing to get to the ship controls, the Prince flipped on the view screen. Several PTO space craft filled the view. "Damn it!"

He turned to the boy. "Gohan, stay as close to me as possible no matter what happens."

Gohan nodded and moved closer.

A thunk, then the screech of metal met their ears, followed by a hiss. A choking stench filled the cabin causing both occupants to start coughing. Vegeta's eyes widened in horror. _'Shit. They're gassing us.'_

He heard Gohan's body hit the floor as his vision began to tunnel and go dark. Then there was nothing.

The Saiyan's body fell to the ground unceremoniously and lay still.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta came back to consciousness to the feel of cold metal under him. He rubbed his head in an attempt to clear the fog. Memories came rushing back and he snapped his head up, taking in his surroundings. A dim, cramped room greeted his eyes. Beings of various species lay sprawled out on the floor, chains linking their wrists together. He looked down at his own arms to find he also bore manacles.

He reached down to pull the cuff off one wrist, only to find he couldn't. Scowling he attempted to raise his chi and the cuffs sparked, then lanced him with pain. _'Damn it! Chi suppressors!'_

A guard looked through the small viewing port in the door at the commotion. "Forget it. Those only come off when the Captain says they do and so far that's been never."

Vegeta scowled towards the door. "I **will** get out of these, and when I do all of you will pay."

Laughing, the guard returned to his position.

A small voice spoke from behind the Prince. "I don't want to be here anymore. It's to dangerous trying to find Daddy. I just want to go home."

Vegeta turned and looked to where Gohan was curled up on the floor, his own wrists bound with the cuffs. "Earth does sound inviting right now."

Sitting back beside the boy, he let out a growl. "These bastards are going to rue the day they messed with a Saiyan."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

They spent two days crowded in the room as the ship made it's way back to it's base. Once a day the guards left water and rancid slop that the Saiyans couldn't stomach to go near.

Gohan let out a groan as they felt the ship shudder to a landing. Vegeta squeezed his shoulder to comfort him.

Loud booted steps marched down the corridor in front of their cell, only to stop. With a clang the door was thrown open and two armed guards stepped in and to the sides of the door.

Another stood surveying the beings in front of it with a sneer. "Alright you pieces of dung. It's time for you to move to your new home. Everyone out!"

All the other humanoids began to shuffle out through the door, heads hanging in defeat. Eventually only Vegeta and Gohan remained.

The guard scowled at them. "Didn't you hear me? Get moving!"

Vegeta returned his scowl to the guard. "You don't know who you're messing with."

The guard moved swiftly towards the Saiyan and rammed a fist into his gut, knocking the air out of him. "Nope. Don't know and don't care. 'S long as yous gots those shiny little bracelets you're nothing but a helpless piece of crap. Now move."

Reaching out the guard grabbed a handful of the Prince's hair and drug him from the room and off the ship.

Gohan scrambled after, trying to stay right next to Vegeta.

Vegeta was hauled roughly into a large building. Pulled down the hallway, he was flung unceremoniously at the feet of a large male.

The guard pulled himself to attention. "Heres you go, Captain Longan. This is the last of them. This one needs to learn his place though."

Captain Longan eyed the Saiyan critically. "He looks a little small and puny. Whatever. He will still be useful in the mines."

Movement caught the Captain's eye as Gohan moved closer to Vegeta. Longan gave the boy a look of disgust. "What the hell is that little thing?"

The guard reached down and grabbed Gohan by the tail, hauling him up to eye level.

Gohan went limp in his grasp. Forcing himself to hold still, the boy pretended that his tail was not trained.

Vegeta let out a growl as the Captain stepped closer. "You bastards, leave the boy alone!"

Longan delivered a swift kick to his ribs. Turning his attention back to the boy he sneered. "Looks like this one's disgusting offspring."

Kicking the Prince again, he motioned toward another guard before walking off. "Take him down to the mines."

The burly guard held Gohan out at arms length by his tail. "What about this one?"

The Captain gave a sniff of indifference. "Toss him in the midden. He's to small for the work and is of no use to us."

Vegeta lunged at the guard only to have something hard impact his head and send him reeling towards unconsciousness. _'Gohan!'_

The guard let out an evil laugh as he walked down the corridors, randomly swinging the boy into the walls. He laughed harder at each impact.

Finally he stopped and opened a door. Cool night air wafted into the building. Chuckling to himself, he pulled his arm back then flung Gohan out it the night sky.

The boy tried to pull on his chi to fly, but the manacles around his wrists sparked painfully into him, preventing the action. Gohan hugged his knees to his body and put himself into a controlled spin. As the ground approached, he tucked his head in and rolled a distance before coming to a stop. Dizzy the boy sat up and waited for the world to stop spinning.

Determined, Gohan stood up and looked around for a stick to use as a weapon. He'd survived when Piccolo had dumped him in the wilderness before he knew how to use his chi, he'd survive now.

First he needed to find food and shelter. Then he'd try and think up a plan to get rid of these handcuff and free Vegeta.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Letting out a snarl, Vegeta spat at the guard who shoved him along the road towards the slave sleeping quarters from the mine. Another guard swung his metal pole at the Saiyan's head, knocking off his feet.

Vegeta growled at them. "I'm going to rip your damn heads off as soon as these chains are gone."

The guards laughed at him. "Then we're not likely ta ever have to worry about that, 'cause you ain't ever gettin' out of them."

Rage simmering inside him, Vegeta pushed himself to his feet. Looking up at the empty sky, he scanned for the moon. _'It's been five blasted weeks! How long does it take this planet's moon to reach the full stage? I'm going to show them real fear then.'_

He glanced around at his fellow captives and sneered in disgust. They'd all given up. _'I'll never give up. This isn't even half as bad as the crap that Frieza used to do to me.'_

The Prince scowled. The chains they wore lowered their strength making them weak and the job they were doing that much tougher. They'd been forced to dig in the mine, hauling out precious minerals needed to supply the PTO. He'd known that planets like this existed, but had never set foot on one of them, it not being his type of job.

So far no one had recognized him and he wasn't going to enlighten them. He didn't need them gloating over his fallen status.

He'd have his revenge on them soon enough. He had the patience and time.

On the other side of the compound, he could see a ship coming in for a landing. _'That's the only ship to land since I got here. They don't come in very often and even then, they don't stay long. Hopefully the moon changes soon. That may be the only way off this piece of rock.'_

Vegeta looked out over the landscape, the concern that he'd been ignoring these last few weeks pawed at his conscious. _'I hope the boy is ok.'_

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan stared out over the barren ground towards the building that he knew the Prince was kept in. He'd been watching the comings and goings for the last several weeks, trying to think up a plan. He failed to notice as the silvery light grew brighter behind him.

Sighing at his uselessness, the boy stood up and turned to go scavenge for some food.

The luminescence of the moon immediately drew his eyes. Unable to look away, he could feel his heart beat faster as something tugged on his soul. He pulled back his lips into a snarl just as his mind slid into nothingness.

The boy's body remained locked in place, staring at the glowing orb. He let out a growl as his eyes turned red and his body began to elongate and grow. His jaw stretching out to form a muzzle.

Pain lanced through his wrists as the cuff holding them became to tight, strained, then snapped. Roaring in defiance a giant ape stood where once was a boy.

Growling at the pain still lingering in his wrists, the ape turned, looking for those who had inflicted it. Seeing no one, he opened his mouth and let out a blast of chi in frustration.

Something twinged in his mind, drawing his attention towards the buildings in the distance. The ape narrowed his eyes. Those there would suffer for his pain.

Letting loose another roar, he rushed towards the structures, firing random blasts into their depths destroying any and every thing in his path.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

An explosion rocked the quarters where the slaves were housed. Then another blast sounded nearer.

Vegeta let out a snort of disgust as most of those present began wail. Their stench became even stronger and marred with fear as a loud roar echoed through the building.

The Prince's head snapped towards the sound and his eyes grew wide for a moment. _'That roar. Could it be?'_

Another roar sounded, this one very much closer. Then a furry fist came through the wall, sending the others in the room screaming in terror.

Vegeta began to laugh. A maniacal laugh as he felt the time he had been waiting for come. Those around him turned to stare at him with wide eyes, assuming he'd gone insane.

Rising to his feet, the Saiyan made his way towards the hole in the wall and the beast that lay beyond it.

Frantic hands attempted to grab him, the male he'd been forced to work with these past days trying to stop him. "Don't go out there. That beast will destroy you!"

Shoving him off, Vegeta let out another laugh. "I told them they wouldn't hold me long. It was just a matter of time. Now they will feel my wrath."

Climbing through the wall debris, he stepped out into the open air.

Other prisoners scurried after him and he was tempted to ignore their flight. A vision of a red skinned ogre flashed through the Prince's mind. He heaved a sigh.

Vegeta moved to block their path. "Stop! If you run out there you'll just draw his attention and die. If you wish to flee, move slow and against the walls."

He began to walk slowly out of the shadow of the building to where he could see the sky.

One of the others called after him. "Wait! That monster will kill you too!"

The Saiyan leveled a glare towards the speaker that had all who saw it cowering. "You're more of a monster than that boy is. He just doesn't have control of his mind."

Turning towards the glowing face of the moon, Vegeta felt the Blutz waves wash over him. He ignored the pain of the tightening manacles and felt joy as they shattered under the pressure of his growing form.

He heard as the voices that had called out for his safety began to cry out in fear and smirked to himself.

As his transformation finished, he turned his glowing red eyes towards the compound. _'Someone is going to pay with their life for what they have done to me!'_

A roar off to his side drew his attention and he turned his head just in time for a furry fist to meet his nose.

Vegeta roared in pain and smacked Gohan off him. _'I must take care of the boy first. I can't have him attacking me.'_

Lunging forward, the Prince grabbed both sides of the other Oozaru's head.

Clenching the fur in his hands, Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the beast. **"** **Control yourself. Remember who you are.** **"**

The creature paused in confusion for a moment, then grabbed the arms holding him, trying to wrench them off.

Vegeta curled his lips back over his teeth in a show of dominance. "Gohan! **Listen to me!** Gohan!"

The ape creased his brow and squeezed tighter to the arms he was gripping, fingers digging into the flesh.

Hissing at the pain, Vegeta kept his resolve. "Gohan! **You are a Saiyan warrior! You control the Oozaru, it does not control you!** "

The creature paused and cocked it's head to the side. It's red eyes glared balefully.

Vegeta held his breath in anticipation. He relaxed with a great exhale as a voice rumbled from the ape in front of him. "Ve-ge-ta?"

The Saiyan let out a small chuckle as he released Gohan's head. "Yes, boy."

Removing his grip from Vegeta's arms, Oozaru Gohan looked around at the destruction around him, then turned back to the Prince with an almost sheepish look. "Did I do all this?"

Nodding his great head, Vegeta turned from the other ape. "Yes, but it's not enough. These fools need to pay."

Dropping his gaze to the ground, Gohan hunched over. "I don't want to kill anyone."

Vegeta gave out a snort of disgust. "You're letting your human emotions control you. Look at all the pain and death they have caused. By sparing them you would be the indirect cause of more anguish."

Gohan refused to look up at the Prince.

A furry hand gripped Gohan's shoulder in a firm but gentle hold as Vegeta let out a rumble. "Listen boy. I thought they killed you. I've been plotting their demise for weeks."

He laid his other hand on Gohan's head. "Remember that these are Frieza's henchmen. They deserve no mercy."

Gohan lifted his head to look at Vegeta. "I will fight to stop any of Frieza's people from hurting others."

Before Vegeta could reply, a shudder swept through both Oozaru and then they found their bodies shrinking.

Whipping his head towards the sky, the Prince found the moon dipping below the horizon at a fast rate of speed. _'Shit. This planet's satellite orbits way too fast. We'll have to take them out the old fashioned way.'_

Standing up in his now naked humanoid form, Vegeta started walking swiftly towards the building. "Hurry up boy. First we need to get some clothes, then we can make sure that this place is never used again."

Gohan scurried after him.

They met little resistance as the entered the structure. It seemed most personnel had been pulled away from the area after they realized their attacks were ineffective against the rampaging ape.

Vegeta dealt with guards swiftly as they crossed paths.

Knowing they had little time before they were met by a serious force, the Prince pulled the boy into the first changing room they came across. Digging through a few lockers, he finally found something small enough and threw a bodysuit at the boy. Boots, gloves, and armor soon followed.

As the child wrestled with the clothing, Vegeta found himself suitable attire and swiftly dressed. He looked over to find Gohan finishing pulling on his armor.

He gave a satisfied grunt. "A ship landed earlier. Our best bet is to get to it and use it to get off this mudball. No one here recognized me so far so they shouldn't know who they are dealing with. We'll make this swift and devastating."

Gohan gave him a nod of determination.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Down one corridor then a couple turns, they met no one. The next hallway was the same. Soon they stood looking cautiously over the tarmac at the medium sized spaceship. So tantalizingly close. And yet they met no guards. Vegeta felt unease stir in his gut. "It doesn't feel right, almost like there is someone here but they are masking their chi."

He felt Gohan brush his hip as they moved. The boy's closeness showing his own trepidation. "It feels like a trap."

A voice boomed out over the area. "That's because it is little Saiyan."

Vegeta and Gohan both spun, looking for the location of the voice.

Up on the building they had just exited, a large figure stepped into view. His leonine visage was scarred and twisted in a snarl as he leapt to the ground several paces in front of the two. "Well, well, well. What do we have here. Frieza's little pet monkey, Vegeta."

The Prince let out a growl of hatred. "Rambutan. I thought Frieza banished you to an ice colony for your treachery?"

Rambutan laughed, clutching his belly. "Oh, he did. But then I made a few allies. And now that the rumor is that Frieza is gone, I've started my own little empire."

As the would be emperor took a few steps forward, Vegeta stepped in front of Gohan. Rambutan sneered at the action. "So the last of the monkeys has been breeding. So disgusting. I know the legend about your race, too, and unlike Frieza, I don't plan on allowing any of you to survive to threaten me."

Rushing forward at incredible speed, Rambutan drove a knee into Vegeta's gut, followed by a fist into his face. "You might as well give up, monkey. We both know I'm stronger than you. That's why I was one of Frieza's right hand men."

The Prince scowled and threw his own attacks at his tormentor, only to have them blocked. After several long minutes of the same results, Vegeta lashed out in anger towards Rambutan's head. "Quit toying with me!"

The lion man laughed before darting behind the Saiyan and grabbed him in a choking grasp. "As you wish."

As his air supply was cut off, Vegeta saw darkness tunneling in around his vision. Struggling he attempted to kick the being behind him to no avail. Just as the darkness threatened to take him, he felt an impact on the body behind him and the grip loosen. Twisting with all his might, he pulled himself free and staggered back, gasping for air.

As his vision cleared he saw Gohan land blow after blow to the emperor.

The boy used his smaller body and surprise to his advantage, though his attacks didn't seem to be doing much. "Leave my uncle alone!"

Still staggering from his loss of air, Vegeta could only watch in horror as Rambutan snatched the boy around the neck with one hand and pummeled him with the other.

Rambutan stood there with Gohan's small form dangling in his grip. The boy's thrashing became frantic then weakened as the grip around his throat tightened until it stilled with a small crack.

Vegeta stared with his face an unreadable mask as his charge, _his_ boy, fell lifeless to the cold metal floor at the emperor's feet. He stood frozen for several moments.

Then something seemed to snap. Blinding white rage and despair awoke the beast in him, the _need_ to protect, defend, **avenge** what was his.

Throwing his head back in a primal scream, Vegeta felt his power pour up, through, and over him, arcing forth in a display of the sun.

Teal eyes sharpened focus at his target who stared in mute horror at the transformed creature before him.

With a scream of fury, Vegeta launched himself at Rambutan, fists pounding and feet striking at speeds the lion man couldn't begin to see. Blood splattered and bones cracked and punishment was dealt to the creature who dared hurt his claimed kin.

Rambutan made a feeble attempt to defend himself, astonished at how the tables had turned so swiftly. Where before Vegeta could barely damage him, now he himself couldn't bring any reasonable defense to bear against the Prince's wrath. All he could do was scream and beg for mercy the Saiyan Prince was unwilling to ever give.

Soon, the dull thuds of flesh being struck began to change to something more damp sounding. Cries of agony slowed and went silent as life crept from the form, but still the beating continued on the unmoving body until it was unrecognizable. Only then did Vegeta stand still, hunched over and panting while blood dripped from his limbs.

Swift steps took him to the still form of Gohan. Kneeling he reached out anxiously to touch the boy, searching deep for any small spark of chi signalling life.

There. Deep down. It was very faint. He'd have to hurry.

Carefully scooping up the small form in one arm, he rushed into the building and down corridors with great speed. The layout of these bases was all similar. He knew that just down the hall was his destination, the medical ward and it's life saving regeneration tank. He hoped like hell that it was enough and the boy would live. If he didn't Vegeta was going to make it his mission to hunt down every last member of Rambutan's race and smear them across the void.

The med room was where he had expected. With swift blasts from his free hand, he dispatched all personnel he found there. Striding to the healing chamber in the center of the room, he carefully laid Gohan in it's embrace. Attaching sensors and breathing mask with practiced fingers, he closed the door and pressed the controls. As the tank filled with the blue liquid all he could do was wait.

Staring at the floating child, he came to notice his own ghosted reflection staring back at him with golden hair and teal eyes. "I did it," he whispered to himself as he reached out to touch the glass. He felt his jealousy of Kakarot's earlier transformation leave him. If he'd known before what the price was to achieve the legendary form, the emotions that fueled it, he never would have held such a deep grudge. He'd been taught and had held firm in the belief that emotional attachments were a weakness unsuitable for an elite warrior. How ironic.

He looked past his reflection. "You'd better make it boy."

A loud rumble from somewhere outside caused him to snap his head around and curse silently. The ship was leaving. Their only way off this forsaken planet.

Vegeta snarled in anger but remained by the regeneration tank. He would not leave Gohan. "I bet it's that damn Longan fleeing before I can get to him."

There would eventually be some future chance at escape and he was patient.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Several hours later, Gohan felt consciousness pull at him. He opened his eyes to a blue tinged world and a body that felt weightless. Focusing he moved his arm and felt like he was pushing through viscous water. He felt trapped and panic started to rise in him.

Suddenly a familiar face appeared at the glass in front of him and he calmed. _'If Vegeta is here, everything is going to be ok.'_

The Prince stared at the floating child as if evaluating him before speaking. "You still need to stay in there a while longer. You're not all the way healed. I'll let you out in a bit."

Gohan nodded his head in understanding and closed his eyes to try and meditate.

Time seemed to drag on before Vegeta finally adjusted the controls on the machine and the fluid began to drain away.

As his feet finally touched the floor, Gohan felt heavy, like his body was being pulled down towards the drains. Shaking off the feeling, he reached up and pulled the mask off his face just as the door was opened.

Vegeta detached the sensors from the boys head then moved back so he could step out of the tank.

When his feet were firmly planted on the outside of the tank, the startled boy felt himself pulled into a rough and awkward hug for a moment before he was released.

Turning swiftly from the child, Vegeta looked off in the other direction. "Don't ever do that again. You almost died and we don't have dragon balls here to wish you back."

Embarrassed by the small display of affection, Gohan stared at the ground. "I had to do something. He was going to kill you."

Turning halfway to look back at the boy, Vegeta smirked. "We are both fools then. But at least that bastard is dead."

Gohan looked up at him in confusion. "How? He was almost as bad as Frieza."

The Prince gave him a cocky grin. "Simple. I ascended."

The boy stared up at him in awe. "But I thought there could only be one Super Saiyan?"

Vegeta snorted. "The legends are wrong. There is a trigger, which I found."

He regarded the child before him. "With all the training we've done over the past months, you're stronger than your father was on Namek. I'm sure with the proper motivation we could get you to ascend as well."

Gohan looked at him in wonder. "Really?" Then his face dropped into a frown. "But I'm only half Saiyan. It might not work."

Ruffling the boy's damp hair, the Prince smirked. "You'll just have to try. We just have to find the right trigger."

Vegeta moved towards the door. "Let's go find you some dry clothing then something to eat. It looks like we're going to be here a while. I still need to clean up some of the riff raff that was left behind as well."

Following swiftly after the Saiyan, Gohan couldn't help his curiosity. "So what was your trigger?"

Taking a deep breath, the Prince let it out in a sigh and responded very quietly. "I thought you died."

Gohan fell silent and stared at the Saiyan. Nodding to himself, he rushed up and grasped hold of Vegeta's hand with his own. Startled, the Prince looked down at him, but did not pull away. He squeezed the small hand gently as he led the boy down the halls.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta stared up at the empty sky. It had been nearly two months and another ship had yet to make an appearance. He snorted in disgust.

A small figured hopped up to land in front of him. "What's wrong, Uncle?"

The Prince leveled his gaze onto the boy. "I think those cowards that escaped in the ship warned off all the other vessels. We may be stuck here a long time."

Gohan looked out over the terrain behind them. The survivors of the mines had dug and planted fields with whatever seeds they could find, knowing that resupply was an iffy proposition. "Well at least it's peaceful here now."

Vegeta let his gaze slide over the fields. "It's a delay of the inevitable. They can try to survive for now and hope for rescue. The colony they've been whispering and dreaming about is a lost cause before it begins. There are no females here."

The boy spoke softly from beside him. "You know they do everything you tell them. If a ship comes, are you going to take them with us?"

Letting out a small laugh, Vegeta watched as people toiled in the fields. "No, I've thought long about it. I would only wish to lead my own people, now. Unfortunately that's a memory of the past."

Gohan sat down on the ground and stretched out his legs. "Everyone has been pretty nice to us since you took care of all the guards."

The Saiyan laughed again. "Of course they are nice. They are terrified of us. They've seen what we can do. They didn't even want to come close enough for us to remove their chains those weeks ago."

Frowning, the boy tucked his knees up to his chin. "So they think we are monsters."

Vegeta gave him a hard look. "Everyone in the universe thinks that Saiyans are monsters. The only exception I've seen is on Earth and I think they may just be to naive to care."

Gohan ducked his head down. "I want to go home."

A groan of exasperation passed Vegeta's lips. He knew where this was going. "Alright. That's enough moping. We have training to do."

Launching into the air, knowing the boy would follow, he took off towards the area they had designated their training ground.

Setting his feet back on the rocky ground, the Prince gathered his thoughts and concentrated. Anger flowed through him as he ascended to Super Saiyan. It had taken him most of a month to get the rage and emotions the form brought with it under control. Now he was confident that he would not go berserk and could use the form for training.

His teal eyes glanced over at the boy who had begun doing vertical push ups. Nothing he'd tried had been able to trigger the boy's ascension. It appeared they'd just have to keep trying.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Krillin watched as Bulma paced through the kitchen. She'd thrown herself into planning a small party for the coming weekend. The Namekian dragon balls had become active again and were ready for the next wishes. He'd joined Piccolo in gathering them the last few days. Now the orbs were waiting for summoning.

The blue haired woman was currently redoing food plans with her mother for the fifth time that day. The older woman seemed to be getting rather flustered at her daughter. "Dear, I'm sure everything is perfect the way it is. Everyone will just be happy to have their two friends back to life. Now why don't you go sit down and relax."

Bulma placed her hands on her hips. "But Mom, it's not perfect yet!"

Thinking to save the older woman from more demands, Krillin decided to sacrifice himself. Standing up he took Bulma by the arm and lead her protesting from the kitchen and into the living room.

Once he finally got her to sit on the couch, he took his own seat on the chair next to her. "So Bulma. What's the real issue. I know it's not the food."

She looked at him and took a few deep breaths. "I'm just so worried. It's been about three months since Dad lost contact with Capsule Two."

Krillin moved to sit beside her and pulled his long time friend into a hug. "I'm sure they are fine. We've seen how tough those Saiyans are."

He leaned back and sighed. "I never thought I'd actually wish to see Vegeta again, but he's what you need right now."

Bulma had gone very quiet beside him. She sat lost in her thoughts for a moment then quickly stood up. "Ok. No need to be feeling sorry for myself. I have things to do."

She smiled down at Krillin. "Thank you for being my friend. You always know just the right things to say."

As she moved towards the door, she called out behind her. "I'm going to go discuss the wording of the wishes with Moori and Dende. I'll be back in a few."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The day for the wishes arrived swiftly. Bulma had made herself busy and let her mother and Krillin tend to the few guests they had invited.

She sat watching through the window as everyone slowly gathered. It looked like it was time. Slowly she made her way out to stand next to Dende. With her peripheral vision, she could see the stunned looks on Roshi and Oolong's faces as she passed them. Krillin was talking with her parents just to the side of them.

Moori smiled at her. "How are you feeling this bright day?"

Bulma gave him a genuine smile. The Namekian elder had been very understanding and forgiving. His allowance of time so that the Earthlings could use the Namekian dragon balls for their wishes was more than generous. "I'm doing very well. Just a bit anxious for the wishes."

With her attention on the elder, Bulma didn't hear Yamcha and Puar arrive until the ex-bandit came up behind her and spoke. "Hey, Bulma! How's it been?"

Startled, Bulma turned to face him and anything else he'd been about to say died on his lips. He stared at the small bulge of her belly. "Y-you're pregnant? Since when?"

Bulma sighed. This was what she'd been trying to avoid. She didn't want to discuss it yet. She gave him a half smile. "It's been a little while. Anyways, it looks like it's time to summon the dragon."

Yamcha frowned at her swift change of subject but vowed to himself to talk with her after the wishes were done.

With a smile and small bow to the elder, Dende stepped forward and raised his hands over the dragon balls. **{Porunga I summon you forth!}**

Once again the dragon balls pulsed with light that shot into the sky and took on the great form of Porunga. "You who have summoned me, what are your three wishes?"

With a wide grin, Dende spoke. **{I wish the warrior known as Tien Shinhan were alive again.}**

The dragon's eyes glowed. "Your wish has been granted."

A bright light shown near the dragon balls. It dimmed to reveal the form of Tien. He stepped up to Yamcha and gave him a pat on the back. "It's good to be alive again."

Turning they waited as Dende spoke the second wish. **{I wish the warrior known as Chiaotzu were alive again.}**

Porunga only paused a moment. "Your wish has been granted."

Again there was a bright light and then Chiaotzu stood before them. He rushed up to his companion. "This is great. I don't ever want to die again."

Bulma looked nervously around those who were waiting. The newly revived hadn't noticed her yet and were laughing loudly together with Yamcha. She looked down at Dende. "Please do the last wish."

Another round of loud laughter erupted as Krillin, Roshi, and Oolong had joined in the banter with the three warriors. Dende's words were lost to all but those next to him and the dragon.

Porunga's eyes glowed deep red as he took a moment before answering those below. His deep voice shocked those speaking into silence. "I have spoken with them. They will return. Your wish has been granted. Farewell."

Those assembled looked at each other questioningly. Finally Mrs Briefs spoke. "What did you wish for dear?"

Bulma just smiled at her mother and pointed where a bright golden light appeared by the dragon balls as the orbs took to the sky and scattered.

As the light dimmed, those assembled let out a gasp.


	12. Coming Home

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*I'm back. Had to fly down to Southern California. It was hot there compared to Western Washington weather. We actually had enough snow here this morning to cover the ground. Guess it's time for me to quit being lazy and chop some more wood so I can have heat._

 _This chapter took me a few days longer than I meant. Had a one shot story for a different fandom fighting to get written. I will keep up with this story. Someone with the means to physically badger me to write wants chapters done in a regular fashion. Time is passing in the story and Goku will be back soon. I almost feel sorry for him.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 12: Coming Home**

The small, violet colored male sped down the passageway as fast as his short legs could carry him. Sweating nervously he paused before a door before gathering the courage to knock and announce himself. "S-sir, it's Filbert from the communications room."

There was a muffled grunt from the other side and a moment later the door swished open. The menacing glare of the Saiyan Prince caused Filbert to take a step back and begin to tremble.

Vegeta grunted at the display of fear. "What do you want? It's still night."

A stammering reply came from the male. "S-sir. P-please, I'm sorry. But you did want informed if we managed to hail anyone on the communications. We finally raised a passing ship."

The jitteriness of the male was getting to the Prince. "Stop that shaking. I've not harmed anyone here that wasn't part of the PTO."

This statement didn't seem to help as Filbert squeaked. "S-sir. We've all seen what you can do."

Leveling his gaze on the still quivering male, Vegeta sighed and decided to attempt to put him a bit at ease. "I've stated before, if you do not act against me or the boy you will not be reduced to dust. Now stop that shaking, it's starting to piss me off."

Filbert attempted to calm himself down. Then remembering why he was there, took another step back. "Um, sir. The ship we contacted, um...well."

The Prince let out a snarl. "Spit it out already!"

Swallowing hard, Filbert managed to get out the rest that he needed to say. "T-t-the ship. It's a Galactic Patrol cruiser."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed as his muscles tensed. "And was my name mentioned at all in the communications?"

Filbert took another step back. "N-no sir. You specifically said not to mention you to anyone."

Relaxing, the Saiyan tilted his head in thought. "Good. Are they sending help?"

Filbert swallowed again. "They said they would come here to see the situation first and are about five days out."

As he turned to go back into his room, Vegeta waved his hand in dismissal. "Fine. Spread word around that no one is to mention the boy or me when they get here."

Bobbing his head up and down, Filbert turned to scurry down the hall. "Yes, sir."

As he shut the door behind him, Vegeta leaned up against it. A smirk formed on his face. _'Good. If the Galactic Patrol knows where their people are going, we can just take their ship and leave.'_

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Afternoon found Vegeta giving Gohan lessons at their training ground once again. The Prince had given up on catching the planets full moon in the sky a few weeks before. The past several days he'd taking to using the power ball to induce the Oozaru transformation in the boy.

Vegeta turned his gaze to the child. "Are you ready boy?"

Gohan picked at the edge of his armor and refused to look at the Prince. "I don't think I'm any good at this."

The Saiyan snorted. "Each transformation has taken you less and less time to regain your mind. The more you practice, the better you get. I will not have you attacking me again if we need to use a full moon."

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, Gohan gave a nervous laugh, earning himself a glare. "Um. Ok, then. I guess I'm ready."

The Prince gave a snort as he concentrated on forming the artificial moon.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

As the power ball dissipated, Gohan felt his body shrink down to his humanoid size. He stood panting heavily for a few minutes before plopping down on the ground to rest.

He turned his head to look up as Vegeta stepped beside him. An almost smile graced the Prince's lips. "You did good this time, Gohan. I only had to call your name once before you recognized me."

The boy gave a grin at the praise but knew better than to comment on it. Instead he looked at the sky and let his thoughts wander. "Why do you think that Daddy didn't come back to Earth?"

Vegeta was silent for a long while before he spoke. "I think he was afraid of what he could unintentionally do. Super Saiyan fills you with a rage. It unleashes all your emotions. That carries over even after you've released the transformation. Regaining control is hard to do. Even now I can feel it wanting to break free once again when I transform."

He stood looking off into the distance for a moment. "I've gotten control these last few months. I'm safe enough to be around. I understand it, but I don't agree on his not coming back. It was over four months. He should have been fine."

Anything else that Vegeta was going to say was forgotten as a deep voice filled their minds. "Saiyan warriors Vegeta and Gohan, I am Porunga the dragon of dreams."

Gohan scrambled to his feet with wide eyes, looking to Vegeta to confirm he heard it too. A nod of affirmation was his answer.

The voice spoke again. "The Namekian named Dende has wished for you both to be returned to Earth. Will you allow this to be granted?"

Bouncing with excitement, Gohan looked up at Vegeta with hopeful eyes. The Saiyan rested a hand on the boy's shoulder before speaking. "Yes. We will return to the Earth."

A sense of peace filled them as they were surrounded by a golden light and everything around them dimmed then the world seemed to shift.

As the light surrounding the duo faded, gasps were heard.

Gohan blinked for a moment, looking out at the crowd. As his eyes settled on his grandmother and aunt, he let out a cry of joy and rushed towards them.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Yamcha let out a gasp of dismay as the light faded to reveal the forms of two Saiyans, their tails swaying behind them. He recognized Vegeta and felt his nerves on edge as he prepped himself for an attack.

When the smaller Saiyan gave a yell and moved at speed towards his ex-girlfriend and her mother he simply reacted. Lunging forward, Yamcha threw a hard punch at the small Saiyan, hoping to knock him out.

Months of training with first Piccolo, then more recently with Vegeta had honed Gohan's skills at dodging. Both had a nasty habit of surprising him. His senses warned him of the incoming attack well before it hit. Twisting just so to the side, he felt the fist pass by his head. Moving his leg up, he sent a retaliatory blow at his attacker.

The kick to his chest sent Yamcha flying backwards, skidding across the ground until he crashed into the side of the building.

As Tien moved to defend his friend from the perceive threat, Krillin grabbed ahold of his arm. "Don't."

The three eyed warrior scowled at the ex-monk. "Are we supposed to just stand here while Yamcha's killed by some Saiyans again?"

Krillin just shook his head. "Don't you recognize the boy?"

Turning to really look at the child, Tien tried to place where he might have seen him.

Giving the taller man a smile, Krillin whispered to him. "It's Goku's son, Gohan."

Tien stood from his battle stance with a surprised start. "You've got to be kidding. He's just a child and that power is immense!"

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Pulling himself upright and breathing heavy, Yamcha looked up in horror to see Bulma and Mrs Briefs rush up and hug the small Saiyan tightly. Staggering forward he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Are you insane? Wishing back Vegeta and apparently his mini me?! Get back from him, he's dangerous!"

Piccolo's snort of derision from off toward his left drew the fighter's attention. "Gohan wouldn't have kicked you if you didn't attack him."

Tien and Yamcha stood in stunned silence. Chiaotzu's squeaked reply brought them out of it. "That's little Gohan?"

Krillin nodded and waved towards the group as Dr Briefs joined in on the welcome. "Can't you tell? He's still got the same feel to him even though his chi has grown tremendously."

Having been momentarily forgotten as the scuffle with Gohan took place, Vegeta made his presence known again. "Of course the boy has gotten stronger. I've been training him."

The human fighters tensed again as the Prince started moving towards the small family reunion.

Bulma turned to face the Saiyan as he came to a stop a few steps from them.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he took in her appearance. He scowled at the small bulge of her belly. "I see you wasted no time in deciding to bring a whelp into this world. So which pathetic fighter's is it?"

Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Bulma placed her hands on her hips and closed the distance between her and Vegeta. She could hear Yamcha cry out for her safety, but ignored him. Reaching out she poke the Prince hard enough in the shoulder to make her finger hurt. "The 'pathetic fighter' is standing right in front of me!"

Eyes widening, Vegeta took a step back from her. "What?"

Smirking at seeing the proud Saiyan retreat, even if only for a step, Bulma once again stepped into his personal space. "The day I was going to tell you, you decided it was a good time to take off into space with Gohan."

Some strange emotion passed over Vegeta's face before he schooled his features into a hard look. "You said you were taking medicine to stop this."

Bulma shrugged. "It happens. It's not one hundred percent effective."

Vegeta finally looked away. "Hnn. Whatever. We will discuss this later. In private."

It was at this point that Yamcha finally made his way to Bulma. Grabbing her arm, he tried to pull her back behind him.

As Bulma attempted to pull herself away from him, his grip tightened just to the point of pain.

Vegeta turned his head to regard the Earthling fighter through narrowed eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

Still pulling on the struggling blue haired woman, Yamcha forced down his unease and faced the Saiyan. "Saving my girlfriend from you!"

The Prince quirked his eyebrow. "She's not your girlfriend. Now let her go before I remove your arm."

Yamcha steeled himself, but the attack he was expecting didn't come from Vegeta. A small hand grabbed his wrist and squeezed. Looking down, he met the hardened gaze of Gohan.

The boy tightened his grip. "You're hurting Aunt Bulma. Let go now."

Frightened at the tone of voice, the scarred man complied. He felt Gohan release his wrist as soon as the woman was freed. He watched as Bulma stepped back, rubbing her arm.

She glared at him. "What the hell, Yamcha?"

He gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

Yamcha reached out to grab Bulma's hand in his.

The Saiyan Prince let out a growl as Bulma stepped half behind him. She scowled at Yamcha.

Any more argument was disrupted as Mrs Briefs pushed her way between the two fighters. She grinned widely at Vegeta before looping her arm around his and pulling. "Oh you poor thing, you must be starving. You and Gohan have gotten way to skinny. Was there no food out in space? I'll fix you a quick snack to hold you over while I make a nice big dinner."

Gohan's head snapped towards the woman at the mention of food. "Can I have a snack, too, Grandma?"

Smiling, she grabbed the boy's hand. "Of course dear. I have to keep my boys well fed."

A bewildered Yamcha watched as the elder Briefs woman led the unresisting Saiyans away. He turned his questioning gaze back towards an irate Bulma. "Is your mother crazy? Doesn't she know what Vegeta can do?"

Bulma crossed her arms and stared at him. "Mom knows Vegeta quite well. He was a fairly good house guest when he came here right after Namek. He's only been gone since the last wishes we made. He took Gohan into space to look for Goku."

Yamcha gave her a concerned look. "Ok. Well you've got Gohan back. Now you can get rid of him."

Bulma smirked and patted her belly before following her mother. "Now why would I do that? This is his baby."

Yamcha's jaw fell open as he stared after her retreating form. **"WHAT?!"**

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Tien and Chiaotzu had left after a few accusatory glares and questioning how Bulma could even stand to be around Vegeta after what he'd done. The warriors had swiftly flew on, not giving her a chance to explain.

She could hear the voices of her parents as they questioned Vegeta and Gohan in the kitchen. Her mother fussing over how starved they both looked as she fed them every treat she could find.

And now she was in her living room, across from a worried looking Krillen as Yamcha paced the floor. Bulma sat fidgeting nervously on the couch. She stared at the carpeted floor, unwilling to meet Yamcha's reproachful glare every time he paused.

Coming to a stop in front of the blue haired woman, Yamcha crossed and uncrossed his arms in frustration. "Just, how could you Bulma? He killed me!"

Bulma looked up at him not knowing what to say.

It was Krillin who came to her rescue in that moment. "Actually, it was one of those green things that Nappa grew that killed you. And it was Nappa who killed the others. The only one Vegeta came close to killing was Goku, and Goku forgave him."

Yamcha turned his scowl towards Krillin. "How come you're defending that bastard now?"

The bald man shrugged. "I saw there was more to the story and more to him when we were on Namek. Sure he's an asshole, but I don't think he's truly evil. What Frieza did to him was enough to make anyone desperate. Then when Frieza killed him, I actually felt bad for the guy."

Eyes wide in disbelief, the scarred man stared at his to friends. "So you used a wish to bring him back to life too?"

Bulma waved her hand in dismissal. "That actually wasn't on purpose. The wish was to bring back everyone killed by Frieza and his henchmen so we could resurrect the Nameks. Vegeta just happened to fall into that category. But something happened when he was dead. He came back changed."

Yamcha snorted. "Like that murderous freak of nature could change."

He hardened his gaze as he looked solely at Bulma. "So you decided the best thing to do was take him to bed with you?"

Face burning red with anger, Bulma stood up and glared back. Her voice raised into a scream. "I'm not like that and you know it you jerk! He can actually be rather nice! Just look how he's treated Gohan!"

Yamcha took a step towards her, his own voice rising. "Yeah, about that! I ran into Chi-Chi and she was sobbing about how some evil alien monkey had stolen her baby away from her and you just let him be taken! And look at the monster he's turning Gohan into!"

He ran his hand through his hair roughly. "I promised that if I saw Gohan I'd bring him back to her, so he's going with me tonight."

Livid rage steamed from Bulma. "You will not be doing any such thing! After what Chi-Chi did to him, she doesn't deserve to even call herself his mother!"

Yamcha gave a bitter laugh. "Yeah, she told me to watch out for you making up stories about her. I'll just go get him and go."

He turned to walk away only to come face to face with an angry Saiyan.

Vegeta lifted his lip in a sneer. "You won't touch the boy. He's mine and he's staying here. You make a move on him and I'll rip your limbs off."

Krillin leapt from his seat and grabbed Yamcha by the arm. "Hey, you need to stay out of that Yamcha. I've even talked to the Namekians. Chi-Chi really did go psycho and attack Gohan. The things she did make me shudder for the boy."

Yamcha looked at Krillin skeptically. "And you really believe that Vegeta did anything to help him."

The Prince let out a growl. "I've been dealing with the boy's nightmares of what his mother did for over eight months. I don't care what you believe. He's not going back to that hell."

As Vegeta turned to leave, he let his gaze linger on Bulma for a moment. She nodded her head with a sigh and he strode back out of the room.

Bulma took a deep breath and turned back to Yamcha. "If you can't accept my choice and won't listen to what I have to say, I think you should go."

Yamcha looked at her with sad eyes. His voice was filled with resignation. "I love you, Bulma. I want you to know that. I wanted to marry you after I was wished back."

Bulma sighed. "And as I told you before, I've moved on. I still would like to be your friend, but I think it's best right now that you go."

Giving a single nod, Yamcha walked from the room and out the front door.

Bulma slumped back into the couch and let out a tension filled groan.

Krillin sat beside her and patted her on the arm. "It'll work itself out, Bulma. You need to just relax and let time take care of it."

He stood back up after a few moments. "I think you're Mom is about done with dinner, and I'm pretty sure there are two guys in there you'd like to give some attention to."

Smiling down at her he reached out his hand. Bulma felt herself return the smile as she put her hand in his and was hauled to her feet. "You really are a good, understanding friend Krillin."

Krillin clapped his hands together and rushed towards the kitchen. "We'd better hurry, if those to eat anything like Goku, there won't be any for us."


	13. The Calm

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Sorry this is late. I was suffering from writers block and then my klutzy self sliced open three fingers making it almost impossible to type. Hopefully I'll get caught back up where I should be with having the next chapter fully done before publishing the current one. That run up to the vacation took all my story buffer away. Sorry about the chapter editing lately, I had some glaring errors I had to correct.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **"** **word** **"** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 13: The Calm**

The evening before was quiet. Vegeta and Bulma had disappeared after the meal. Mrs Briefs had offered that they had much to discuss after so long and would come back when they were done.

Breakfast was another quiet affair, then everyone went about their own business.

Krillin was sitting in the living room with Gohan as the child watched cartoons. He contemplated the boy. _'Man he looks so different just from Namek. I wonder what all he's been through.'_

Movement to the left drew the the attention of the occupants of the room as the Prince made his presence known.

Vegeta turned his head to look at Gohan. "Go see the Namek. I'll be there shortly."

A smile lit the boys face as he scampered out of the room and rushed off to find Piccolo.

Moving his gaze back to Krillin, the Saiyan's brows furrowed in thought.

The smaller man began to sweat under the scrutiny. _'Man it feels like he's trying to look into my soul. Maybe he wanted me alone so he could get revenge for me almost killing him when he was helpless in his pod.'_

After several agonizing minutes, Vegeta spoke. "Why did you defend me to your friend?"

Krillin gaped at him in surprise. "What? That's what you want to know?"

The Saiyan gave him an irritated scowl.

Holding his hands up and waving them placatingly, Krillin gave him a sheepish look. "Sorry, sorry. I just wasn't expecting that question."

The bald fight rubbed the back of his head. "Well I guess it's because of what happened on Namek. I got a small glimpse of what maybe Goku saw in you. Then when I get wished back, Bulma tells me about what happened with Gohan. I asked several of the Namekians. They told me what happened when you first took him. They may hate you for the loss of their village, but you standing up for Gohan earned a bit of grudging respect from them."

He eyed Vegeta contemplatively. "You know, I bet if you apologized, that they'd forgive you."

Lip lifted in a sneer, the Prince turned away. "I don't need their forgiveness."

Krillin shrugged. "Anyways, Panchy told me about the other incident and about Gohan's nightmares. You know how she likes to talk. She was singing high praises of you. This was all after Yamcha left to do his baseball thing, so he didn't hear any of it."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "Then Bulma told me about you two. I'll admit I was shocked at first, but I didn't react anywhere near as bad as Yamcha, and I was willing to listen. And Bulma needed someone to listen. She was having a hard time there for a bit coping with the idea that she was pregnant and all the fun stuff that went along with it. Then they lost all contact with your ship. She's been fretting since then. She really thought you might be dead and it was eating her up. I've been doing what I can to help her out and just be her friend."

It was silent in the room for a while. Krillin decided that the conversation was apparently over and moved to leave.

Vegeta's gruff voice stopped him. "What are you expecting for allying yourself with me?"

Turning back around, Krillin found Vegeta watching him with crossed arms. He shrugged. "Nothing. I would ask that you don't hurt Bulma, but there isn't anything I want."

The Prince gave a snort. "The closest I had to an ally in my life was Raditz. Everyone else, including Nappa, always wanted something. All Bulma has asked was for me to 'behave'. She also doesn't like those who keep taking without giving anything back. I don't like being in debt."

Krillin laughed. "Well Bulma is like that. Always willing to help someone that needs it. She has me working around the place to earn my keep here, though. She got on Yamcha for being a leech when he was last here."

Vegeta nodded his head. "I've had that speech from her. She looked like a fish when she found out I'd already made arrangements to help her father in repayment."

The shorter man's eyebrows went up in surprise. "You're Dr Briefs assistant aren't you? The one he's been complaining about being gone."

He got a nod in response.

Breaking out in raucous laughter, Krillin held up a hand to stall any snappy remarks from Vegeta who was getting visibly angry. "N-no. I'm not laughing at you. *snirk* The doctor needed someone strong to help with some project and Bulma made Yamcha go. *snort* Yamcha apparently screwed it up enough to set back the work. Dr Briefs was talking about how much he missed his real assistant at dinner for the next week."

When a snort of amusement came from Vegeta, Krillin felt himself fully relax. He figured now was the time to ask the burning question. "I thought us humans were just weak, pathetic fighters and not worth your time. What changed?"

Vegeta looked off past him. "You fought like a Saiyan against Frieza. You've shown your worth."

With a nod, the Saiyan walked past the human fighter. Pausing at the door for a moment, he didn't look back as he spoke. "Be at the gravity room tomorrow at 7 am and we'll see about getting you up to a decent fighting level."

Then Vegeta was gone, leaving a stunned Krillin to stare at where he had been. "D-did he just complement me and offer to train me?"

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan was animatedly telling Piccolo about the adventures in space when Vegeta found them. The Prince idly leaned against a tree and waited for the boy to finish his story.

Piccolo gave the Saiyan a smirk. "So I see that Gohan has cast his little spell over you, too. Maybe I should just say 'Welcome to the club'."

Vegeta rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Go ahead, laugh it up. I'll just blast you."

The Namekian turned his attention back to the child sitting in front of him. "So what do you want to learn now, Gohan?"

Before the boy could answer, Vegeta spoke up. "What do you know about controlling anger and rage?"

Piccolo eyed him. "It takes lots of deep meditation and you must want to control it. Having someone that gives you unconditional love helps break the hold that rage takes on you."

Vegeta stood contemplating for a while. "What do you want in exchange for teaching me this meditation."

The Namekian shook his head. "Nothing. I know something happened when you were dead, and like me, you wish for some atonement. Helping you will help me."

He gestured to the ground in front of him. "Take a seat. I'll just get Gohan started on something else."

As he sat down cross-legged, Vegeta's voice was firm. "No. The boy needs to learn this to. He'll have anger issues of his own when he finally ascends."

At the Namekian's questioning look, Vegeta continued. "The ascension to Super Saiyan. It's fueled by need and emotion. The rage consumes you the first time. Regaining control of your emotions takes time. Months apparently. I assume this is why Kakarot did return immediately."

Piccolo looked at him in surprise. "You've become a Super Saiyan?"

Vegeta met his gaze. "Yes. I had something to protect."

Giving a nod of understanding, Piccolo began the lesson.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Piccolo's deep voice cut through the trance that the two Saiyans in front of him were in. "That's enough."

When the Prince finally opened his eyes, he was greeted with the dimming evening sun. He let out a grunt. It had been mid-morning when they started. It didn't seem like that much time had passed.

Stiff muscles protested as Vegeta stood from his meditative position. Joints and vertebrae popped as he stretched. In his peripheral vision he could see Gohan stretching out with a large yawn.

The Saiyan rubbed his hands through his stiff hair, massaging his scalp. He was mentally exhausted.

Giving Piccolo a nod, he picked up the tired child beside him and began the walk back to the house.

The Namekian's voice was soft as he called after them. "We will continue with this in two days. Let your minds rest tomorrow."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

 _'He was on a warm beach, laying back on a towel. A beautiful buxom blonde was standing at the shoreline looking out over the sea. He smiled and called out to her. "Hey babe! Come back and sit with me!"_

 _She turned her head to look at him, her short hair brushing her chin. Giving him a soft smile she made her way over. "Sure Krillin."_

 _He grinned up at her. "So is there anything you'd like to do."_

 _She stared at him with her blue eyes. "Yes. I want you to wake up."_

 _He gave her a confused look. "What?"_

 _Her voice became deeper. "Wake up."_

 _He looked around as the sand faded to a dark grey._

 _She spoke to him again, her voice gruff and irritated. "I said wake up!"_

 _He tried to stand and the world spun.'_

Krillin hit the floor with a heavy thud and jolted awake. Trying to stand he found himself tangled in his blankets. His waking mind wasn't comprehending what was going on yet. "Huh?"

The sound of a mattress being dropped back onto a box spring further jolted him into reality. He peered up and over the bed to see Vegeta standing there, arms crossing.

The Prince scowled at him. "I told you to be outside at 7 am. You're late."

Krillin looked around then comprehended what had happened. "Hey! You dumped me out of my bed!"

The Saiyan turned and strode out of the room, calling over his shoulder. "You have five minutes."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Staggering outside towards the gravity room, Krillin rubbed his face. He found a scowling Vegeta leaning against the space ship that had Capsule 3 emblazoned on the side. The bald man smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I forgot to set an alarm."

The Prince gave him a quick look of irritation. "Don't be late again."

He pushed himself off the ship and lifted into the air. "Let's go."

Krillin looked confused. "I thought we were using the Gravity Room?"

Gohan grabbed at his arm pulling him into the air. "He said we will later but I need help with my training so we're going out into the wilderness."

They followed the Saiyan for an hour before landing on the edge of the barren desert.

Gohan moved himself away from the other two, practically bouncing with excitement. "I'm going to do it myself this time!"

Vegeta grunted. "We will see."

He turned to Krillin. "You will attempt to touch the boy's nose. He will try and catch you."

His eyes narrowed. "Do not harm his tail or I'll make you suffer."

Krillin gulped and took a step back. "Um, yeah. How hard could it be?"

Giving a sadistic laugh, Vegeta began to gather chi into his palm before shooting it into the sky.

Krillin watched in confusion as the glowing orb hovered in the sky before exploding and growing brighter. He turned to question the Prince, only to find the Saiyan's eyes white as his face began to contort. Turning to see Gohan, he watched at the boy's muzzle pushed out from his face as his body began to grow.

A cold chill swept down Krillin's spine as he realized he was alone with two Saiyans changing into their great ape forms. He watched, sure that his death was imminent, as the two finished changing.

Vegeta stared intently at Gohan as the boy reached up and clutched his head as if struggling. Finally Gohan let his hands fall and took a step towards a nervous Krillin. The bald man took several steps back.

Vegeta's rumbling laughter stopped him. "Really. You shouldn't show your fear."

Krillin felt himself grow angry at the mocking. "I'm not afraid! I just know that Goku became an uncontrollable beast when he transformed."

Now Gohan's voice rang out. "That's because Daddy didn't have any training. It took me a long time to control it."

Gohan faced Vegeta and a wide grin covered his face. "Look! I controlled it all on my own this time!"

Krillin decided then and there that a smiling Oozaru was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen.

The Prince gave a snort. "It's about time."

He leered down at the human. "Now for the training. Begin."

The ex-monk barely had time to dodge as Gohan brought his hand down to grab him.

The next couple hours went by in a flash, with Vegeta shooting the random blast at them to keep both fighters on their toes. Finally the Prince called a halt as he opened his mouth and blasted the powerball from the sky.

Gohan fell to his knees as his body reverted to a humanoid form. He was grinning wildly as he looked over at Krillin. "That was fun! I like that game!"

Krillin resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he stood there panting. _'Fun he says. Game. What is with these Saiyans?'_ Bracing his hands on his knees, he took several deep breathes. "Yeah sure, Gohan. Maybe we can to it some time again."

Vegeta grunted an accent as he walked up to them. "We will do this until you can't touch the boy. He needs to learn to move faster."

He eyed Krillin up and down. "You were doing better by the end as well. There may be hope for you yet."

A loud rumble echoed through the clearing. Krillin rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Hehe. Um...guess I'm hungry. I did kind of miss breakfast. It's almost lunch time now."

Without another word the three of them lifted into the air in mutual agreement. Food sounded good.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The evening sky was a darkening purple when Vegeta landed softly in front of Piccolo. "I need to see the Namekian elder. Alone."

This got him a raised eyebrow. "What for? He hasn't done anything to you."

The Prince snarled in irritation. "I'm not going to hurt him. I just wish to speak with him. Someone made a suggestion, and after much thought, I have decided that they were right."

Piccolo gazed intently at the Saiyan. "If you harm him, I will hunt you down."

The Namekian warrior swept by, striding towards one of the garden domes. He paused at the entrance to address the Prince following him. "Wait here."

He returned a few minutes later, gesturing for Vegeta to follow. They strode through the grasses and vegetation of the dome until they came to a small grove. Piccolo turned to head back they way they had come. "He's in there. I'll be by the door."

Vegeta crossed and uncrossed his arms in irritation as he stepped into the trees. He found Moori calmly sitting on the root of a large tree.

The Namekian smiled. "You wished to speak with me?"

The Saiyan nodded then spoke.

A flustered Vegeta practically flew from the grove and out the door of the dome. He paused only a moment when Piccolo spoke to him. "So did you talk about what you needed to?"

The Saiyan lifted his lip in a sneer. "It's none of your business."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Spring turns towards summer.

A short bald fighter sat contemplating the last three months of his life. He knew he'd grown immensely as a warrior. He could feel it. The strides Gohan had taken, though, simply amazed him. The boy had just turned six not long ago and was already amazingly powerful. _'If he's this strong now, I can't imagine what he will be like as an adult.'_

Krillin was sitting on the second floor balcony, sipping at his drink while he watched Vegeta and Gohan out in the yard below. They seemed to be playing some odd training game. Vegeta had various small objects he would throw, then Gohan would go looking for them while blindfolded. Somehow Gohan had been successful at retrieving each thing. He couldn't hear what they were saying from this distance, but from the smile on the boy's face, he assumed that everything was good.

The sound of the door sliding open then back closed behind him drew his attention from the two Saiyans. He turned to find Yamcha standing there nervously.

The scarred fighter gave him a smile. "Hey. It's been a while."

Krillin grinned up at him and motioned for him to take a seat. "Yeah, it has. So what brings you here?"

Yamcha sat in the chair and leaned back. "I came to make some apologies. I figured you should be first on the list because the next might not go so well."

The shorter man dismissed the need with a wave of his hand. "We're good. Things happen and we get over it."

Krillin turned to face back out over the grass. "It's been an interesting few months here. The only time I've trained more in my life was when Goku and I were students under Master Roshi."

Yamcha nodded his head in understanding. "Yeah. I think I'd be paranoid enough to train all out with Vegeta being here too."

He paused to really examine his friend and smiled. "Wow, that training has really been working out for you. Look at you. You're definitely more powerful than the last time we saw each other."

Rubbing the back of his head, Krillin blushed at the praise. "Well, I've been really pushed lately."

Yamcha gave out a laugh. "I guess I need to start training with you. I could use those results."

Looking away, Krillin spoke in a soft voice. "I'm not sure that's possible. I don't control the training and you're not on good terms with the one running it."

He got a confused look in return and sighed. Waving his hand out at the grassy field. "Vegeta was very insistent that he not be surrounded by pathetic excuses for fighters. He doesn't spar with me, he feels I'm not worthy of that honor. I do spend a lot of time fighting against Gohan. Surprisingly, Piccolo joins us sometimes. I always get the feeling that Vegeta is holding back, hiding his power from us. I tried asking Gohan once if he noticed, but Vegeta said something to him in that language they sometimes speak and Gohan has refused to talk about it since."

Eyes narrowing as he looked at the proud form of the Saiyan standing in the grass, Yamcha couldn't help the sneer he felt on his lips. "I don't understand how you can stand to be near that asshole. He has no redeeming qualities."

Krillin shrugged noncommittally.

Both human fighters watched as a still blindfolded Gohan came rushing back to the Prince, clutching something in his hand. Vegeta took the item and placed it in the container at his feet filled with similar objects. Reaching out he slipped the covering off the boy's eyes. Gohan looked up at the Saiyan with anticipation. Vegeta moved his arm swiftly and sent the boy tumbling softly a few feet across the grass.

At the display, Yamcha jerked upright out of his seat and moved to go defend the child.

"Stop. Sit down and suppress your chi before they notice us. We're downwind so they can't smell us." Krillin's voice cut through his thoughts. "Gohan's fine. See."

Yamcha reluctantly did as he was told.

They both watched at the boy bounced to his feet. His laughter loud enough to be heard on the balcony. Vegeta moved his tail to sway lazily at his side, gliding it in a hypnotic dance. Beaming, Gohan launched himself the Prince's tail, barely managing to grasp the appendage before it moved out of his reach. He was dangled in front of Vegeta for his efforts and his ankle swiftly grabbed.

Gohan let go of the tail and hung upside down giggling. He was tossed into the air where he righted himself before landing back in front of the Saiyan.

Vegeta picked up the container of objects and walked back towards the house, Gohan hopping around in his wake.

Confusion was written all over Yamcha's face as he turned to Krillin. "What the hell was that?"

Shrugging, the bald man took a long swallow of his drink. "No real idea. It reminds me of one of those nature shows where the lion plays with his cubs. Vegeta didn't know we were watching or we'd never have seen that. He's really private about showing any affections. Gohan practically worships him, though, so I knew there had to be something that everyone else doesn't get to see."

Yamcha sat back in his chair, contemplating the new info. "Maybe I need to watch and see what's going on."

Krillin looked over at him. "First you need to apologize to Bulma and beg for her forgiveness. She should be back from her shopping trip soon. So we can just talk for a while."

He rose to his feet. "Come on. Mrs Briefs usually has cookies coming out of the oven around this time. If we hurry, we can get a few before they get inhaled by a couple Saiyans."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Wandering into the kitchen, the two human fighters found Mrs Briefs bustling about the room, pulling trays from the oven.

Gohan sat at the table, blissfully munching away on a plateful of cookies while reading a thick book.

Krillin chuckled at the sight. "Hey, kiddo. Early school work today, huh? Must be Piccolo's day off."

The boy glanced up at him while shoving another cookie into his mouth and shrugged. "Yeah."

Krillin looked at Gohan oddly. _'He's normally more talkative. I wonder what's wrong?'_

Mrs Briefs apparently noticed the odd behavior as well. She moved behind her grandson and rubbed his shoulder. "What's wrong dear?"

The boy lifted his head and stared in Yamcha's direction. **"** **I don't trust him. I heard what he said last time he was here. He wants to take me back to HER.** **"**

A slight frown graced the older woman's face. "We won't let that happen, dear. How about I fix up a big bowl of cookies and you can take it and your book down to your Grandfather's lab. It will be nice and safe in there."

Gohan nodded quietly and marked his place in his book.

Krillin gaped at Mrs Briefs in amazement. He'd heard Vegeta and Gohan conversing in the odd language a few times, as well as Bulma expressing irritation that Vegeta wouldn't teach it to her. His surprise showed in his voice as he spoke with the older woman. "You can speak that language?"

She smiled at him as she quickly filled a large bowl with the cookies. "Oh, I don't think I could actually speak it. I just can't make some of those sounds. I can understand quite a bit of Saiyago. Our dear Vegeta didn't mind me learning when he was first teaching it to little Gohan."

Pushing the bowl into the boy's waiting arms, she shooed him out of the room. "Now make sure you share those. I know my handsome men are hard at work in that lab and could use a treat."

Gohan wasted no time in leaving.

Yamcha broke the silence that had fallen at the child's exit. "How can you be so calm about this. Don't you know what type of person Vegeta is?"

The almost perpetual smile left Mrs Briefs' face again. "I know perfectly well what type of person he is. I've had many long talks with him and he's never hid his past and the things that he did while he was that monster's puppet. He's finally free and healing."

She gave Yamcha a hard look. "Frankly I don't need you causing trouble for my boys or my daughter. You made poor Bulma unhappy so many times before. Now she has some true happiness in her life."

Yamcha looked submissively at the woman. "I'm sorry. It's just Gohan is Goku's kid and I feel I should protect him. Plus I do care a great deal for Bulma."

Mrs Briefs' gaze softened. "Everyone here cares a great deal for Gohan. That boy only feels safe if Vegeta or Piccolo are around, though. To many bad memories."

A buzzer sounded and she went to remove the next set of trays from the oven before she spoke more. "As for Bulma. Well your chance there is gone. You'll have to come to terms with that."

Krillin looked up from where he was stuffing his face. "This is a nice conversation and all, but Bulma's home."

As if on cue, the sound of the front door opening, then being kicked shut reached their ears.

Bulma called through the halls. "Hey Mom! I have to show you the cutest little monkey sleeper. It will be adorable with the baby's little tail! I found a bunch of other ..."

Her words abruptly cut off as she stepped into the kitchen and saw who all was there. Her voice was tense. "Hello, Yamcha."

He gave a weak smile and took a few steps towards her. "Hey. Um...I just came by to apologize."

Bulma side stepped him and strode to the table to drop off her bags. "If you're trying to suck up to me, it's not going to work."

Yamcha shook his head vigorously in denial. "N-no. Nothing like that. I really am just here to apologize. Then Krillin showed me something today that has made me see how wrong I may have been. I suppose I should apologize to Vegeta as well."

Bulma waved him off. "Don't. You'll just irritate him and he won't believe you. It takes actions to convince him."

She settled herself down carefully in a chair, her large stomach causing her to lean back. "I can try and forgive you, but it will take time."

He nodded and turned to go. "I understand. Just let me know. I'd still like to be your friend."

Bulma smiled at him. "Hey. Let's try something simple. We were planning on having a barbecue tomorrow for lunch. Why don't you come join us?"

Yamcha tossed a grin over his shoulder before leaving. "Sure. I'll be here."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Mrs Briefs was happily piling dish after dish in front of the two Saiyans, urging them to eat more. Krillin and Dr Briefs chuckled at her antics.

Yamcha watched the woman curiously. She had always been known for her generosity. It wasn't until Bulma started stacking the ribs in front of them and generally acting like her mother that he wondered if something else was going on.

He scooted over to nudge Krillin. "Why are Bulma and her Mom so insistent that those two eat more?"

Krillin leaned back patting his own full stomach. "They looked really bad when they were wished back. Like they had been starving for months. Gohan said there wasn't much food on the planet they were on and they tried not to take it all from the others there. They are filling out pretty well now."

Suddenly Vegeta tensed and looked to the sky. His actions were followed shortly by Gohan and Krillin, then Yamcha.

Fear swept over the tall human fighter. "What is that? It's so powerful and feels so malicious!"

Gohan began growling deep in his throat and Krillin tensed.

Vegeta let out a snarl. "That idiot, Kakarot! He didn't finish the scum off!"

Yamcha was still confused. "What is it?"

A sudden swoosh of air announced Piccolo joining them. "It's Frieza."


	14. The Storm

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*My muse abandoned me during this chapter, even though I already had everything planned out, half written, and just had to put it into words. So I downed enough Kombucha to kill a horse and finally got it out. There will be a few more notes at the bottom.*_

 _*Poor Vegeta was robbed during Resurrection F. He deserved to get his vengeance*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **"** **word** **"** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 14: The Storm**

Hands clenched in fists of rage, Vegeta stormed into the Capsule Corp building. He called over his shoulder to Gohan as he disappeared into it's depths. "Boy! Get armored up!"

Ignoring Mrs Briefs' cry of dismay, Gohan leapt to his feet and rushed inside to comply.

Krillin pushed himself back from the table. "I better hurry and get ready as well. I'd also like to help give Frieza some payback."

Piccolo stood staring off into the depths of the sky. "We have about an hour. I'll wait for everyone before leaving. We'll be better off as a group."

Mouth hanging open in shock, Yamcha stared at his friend until Krillin started walking to the door. "Wait! You can't be serious! You're really going to go fight that...that thing? I've never felt anything like it! It will be a slaughter!"

Krillin gave a half laugh. "It's not like this is the first time I've faced Frieza, and I don't plan on dying this time."

Looking over at the bald fighter, Piccolo smirked. "Vegeta has a nasty surprise up his sleeve. He won't be letting Frieza come out of this alive."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Less than ten minutes later saw the fighters back outside and dressed for battle.

Piccolo was still tracking the incoming power. He looked over towards Vegeta. "There are two of them. It's not just Frieza."

The Prince gave a snort of disgust. "Yes, though the second is weaker. Looks like Frieza went crawling back to daddy begging for help. We'll have an easier time dealing with Cold."

A distraught cry drew the attention towards Mrs Briefs. She was attempting to cuddle a struggling Gohan. The boy was trying to carefully extricate himself from her grip without hurting her. "I'll be fine Grandma! Uncle can probably kick their butts all by himself!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and stepped over to remove the woman's arms from the child. "Quit coddling him. He's a Saiyan. He's went against Frieza before and put up a hell of a fight. He will do well in this fight to help avenge his race."

Mrs Briefs released her hold on Gohan, only to fling her arms around the neck of a surprised Vegeta. His face flushed at the display and he tried to back away from her.

Shaking her head at the theatrics, Bulma stepped up and pulled her mother away. "They'll be fine, Mom."

Vegeta leapt into the air, out of reach of the older woman. He turned his gaze towards Bulma, fixing her with an intense stare. "Stay here. I don't need you following us."

Bulma huffed indignantly. "Whatever."

The Saiyan turned to the waiting warriors before taking off at speed. "Let's go. We can make a good guess where they are going to land."

Gohan and Piccolo quickly joined him with Krillin on their heels.

Seeing movement to his right, Krillin looked over to find Yamcha flying beside him. He grinned evilly. "I thought you were staying behind and letting us take care of the big scary monster?"

Yamcha blushed deeply. "It's not like that. I just don't want to die again, and I can tell I'm way out of my league on this."

Krillin decided to stop teasing the man. "Yeah, me too, but...that isn't going to stop me. If I die again, I'll go out fighting like last time. Much better than sitting around just waiting for my death. Besides, I'm sure the Namekians wouldn't mind bringing me back at a later date."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

They landed in the wasteland on the outskirts of the Diablo Desert just as the large spaceship entered the atmosphere. From it's descent they could tell it would land just a couple ridges over.

Vegeta's voice rang out as he rocketed towards the ground. "Land and suppress your chi!"

Irritated, Yamcha yelled back. "Who made you leader?"

Piccolo appeared in front of the human. "Do it now! We don't want to let them know we are here."

Yamcha cowered back muttering. "Fine, fine."

As they swiftly lowered themselves towards the ground below, two figures came into view.

Krillin waved as they landed. "Hey Tien. Hey Chiaotzu."

The two fighters acknowledged the small man with a nod.

Tien narrowed his eyes as he noticed Vegeta. "What's _he_ doing here?"

The Saiyan gave him a sneer of superiority. "I don't have time to deal with you right now."

Vegeta began running towards where the spaceship would land. Without a glance at the others, Gohan and Piccolo were beside him.

Looking nervously at the other human fighters, Krillin shrugged his shoulders. "Well this isn't going to be easy, but we better go. Remember to keep your chi suppressed."

The humans finally caught up to Piccolo and the Saiyans on a small ridge overlooking a large expanse of flat, desolate ground. They crouched against boulders and watched at the spaceship landed. As the dust settled, a hatch opened up and a ramp extended. Numerous soldiers poured out of the craft, moving out in an arc. The soldiers turned and faced the ramp, awaiting orders.

Earth's defenders stood watching as two figures casually strolled down the ramp, looking out at the world.

The taller figure stared haughtily at the landscape around him before looking down at the being at his side. "The Super Saiyan is about three hours behind us. So, Frieza, are you going to wait for him?"

Frieza smirked. "Of course, Daddy."

He looked around. "So this is Earth. Not bad. It would fetch a good price after we are done. That is if there is anything left of it."

Frieza gave a short, evil laugh. "I want the Saiyan to suffer when he gets here. So I shall kill all of the earthlings while we wait. According to the scouters, there are quiet a few of them. Three hours should be plenty of time, though."

Cold crossed his arms. "I don't care about the earthlings. The Super Saiyan must be destroyed at all costs. We can't let that threat live. Our clan must always be the most powerful."

Looking up at his father, Frieza smirked. "That should be no problem at all with both of us here. I have grown even stronger and could probably take care of him myself. Anyway, let's get the fun started."

Frieza waved at hand at some of the soldiers. "Go start killing off the humans. We can have a little entertainment while we wait."

As the soldiers lifted into the air, there was a blur of blue and violet. It flashed through the ranks and soldiers fell in it's wake. As the last of that cohort fell, the blur stopped to reveal a purple haired form clad in blue and black. Sheathing the sword in his hand, the figure turned to reveal a blue eyed teenager.

Glancing at the fallen soldiers, Frieza narrowed his eyes at their assailant. "What do you want earthling?"

The teen's gaze was hard and his voice firm. "I've come to kill you."

The leaders and their army stood looking at him with wide eyes for a moment before laughter was heard.

Frieza controlled his cackling to address the youth. "Kill us? You? Well they do say ignorance is bliss."

The young man narrowed his eyes. "Who's ignorant? You're Frieza, right?"

The tyrant raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm flattered that you know my name even on this backwater planet. To bad you apparently don't know that I am the most powerful fighter in the universe."

The teen smirked. "Then you better fight me with everything you have. I'm not pushover like Goku."

Startled once again, Frieza stared. "That is the Super Saiyan's name. So you're one of his friends. What do you know of him?"

With a half grin still in place the youth took a step forward. "I only know of him, but that doesn't matter. You're about to die right now."

Frieza laughed. "If the Super Saiyan couldn't kill me, what makes you think that you can?"

The smile on the teen's face grew broader. "See you're mistake is assuming that Goku is the only Super Saiyan."

The youth clenched his fists and began to power up. As his hair flickered to gold and his eyes to teal, Frieza took a half step back in horror.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Up on the ridge, Earth's warriors had watched the scene in awe. The lavender hair stranger's transformation, though, brought out an almost violent reaction.

Vegeta snarled in anger. "That's not possible! There is no way that nobody can be a Saiyan!"

Gohan looked up at him in worry. "But his power and looks are just like it."

At the back of the group, Yamcha stood next to Chiaotzu. The enormous feel of the youth's chi washed over them. The scarred fighter could only gape in awe. "That's a Super Saiyan? I've never felt anything like that!"

As the group watched, the youth took a step towards Frieza.

Gritting his teeth, Vegeta clenched his fists. "I'm not going to just stand here and let some nobody get in the way of my revenge on that bastard Frieza!"

He launched himself in the air and sped towards the battle below.

Gohan startled at his sudden movement, then scrambled into the air after him to the protests of the human fighters.

Tien shook his head. "That kid is going to get himself killed!"

Chiaotzu stared after the two. "I don't want to go down there. I can't compete with that power."

A pat on his shoulder from Yamcha made him turn his head as the fighter spoke. "Well let's just be glad that Vegeta doesn't have that kind of power. Can you imagine what he would have done to Earth if he did?"

Piccolo gave an amused snort before taking off after the Saiyans. "Come on. We can take out the rest of that army."

Krillin nodded in agreement and followed beside him.

Tien looked over at the other two. "Well let's go. If we are going to die, we will go down fighting."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

As the teen took a menacing step towards the stunned Frieza, neither of them noticed the incoming figure of the enraged Saiyan Prince until he shoved past the youth with a snarl. "Get the hell out of my way. Frieza is mine!"

The young Super Saiyan took several steps sideways in surprise. "W-what?"

Vegeta ignored him and landed in front of Frieza. "I've got a score to settle with you, asshole!"

Frieza regained his composure and sneered at the sight of the Prince. "Oh, so the monkey prince has come for more punishment. Didn't I already kill you once? I'll just have to make sure you stay dead this time."

The tyrant lunged out with a fist at the Saiyan, only to have it pass through air as the Prince was suddenly not there.

Vegeta's gruff voice mocked him from behind. "What's the matter. Can't hit a 'monkey'?"

The next blow connected with the Prince's chin, snapping his head to the side and sending him backwards several feet. Vegeta tilted his head to stretch his neck then faced Frieza again, this time the look he gave his former enslaver promised death. "Enough of this. I swore I'd kill you and now you will die!"

Frieza laughed at the absurdity. "You? You're even more pathetic than this boy!"

The Prince clenched his hands and released his power, letting it quickly flow through him. He felt the rage as the transformation took over and he leashed the emotions to his will. He looked into Frieza's terrified eyes and gave a sardonic grin. "Surprise."

The tyrant had watched in horror as the Saiyan he had tortured and crushed beneath his heel for so long transformed before him. He barely had time to utter a gasp as the Prince's fist punctured through his chest, destroying his heart. His head lolled to the side as he looked towards his stunned father. "Daddy, avenge me."

Vegeta began building up the chi in his hand, releasing it to burn the corpse around his hand to ash. He was so intent on it's total destruction that he didn't sense when Cold lunged at him in rage.

Cold's attack was cut short as a small body barreled into him, almost knocking him from his feet. Turning to retaliate, Gohan slipped easily past his defenses again to deliver another blow. Focusing solely on the boy, Cold began gathering enough energy to destroy the child. Searing pain broke through his focus. He finally noticed the Namekian warrior on the other side of him that had just dealt a mortal blow. He didn't have time to even turn as the life force left his body.

Without any fanfare, the Patriarch of the Cold family, and his protege of a son, met their ends.

Piccolo looked out across the battlefield where the human's were fighting the soldiers. "Come on Gohan. Let's help clean this up."

The boy gave him a cocky grin and attacked the nearest target.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Tien and Chiaotzu were fighting back to back, plowing through the enemy as one. Sweat and a small amount of blood dripped from their forms as the enemy fell before them.

Yamcha was giving his all, fighting near Krillin. He'd been watching the smaller man when he could and was amazed at the power. He felt a twinge of jealousy. _'Man, I haven't been pushing myself near enough. And the last several months of not training are really taking their toll on me.'_

Lost in his thoughts, he failed to see the incoming blast until his friends screamed out a warning. He felt himself freeze as his death came looming at him. Closing his eyes he awaited the end.

Yamcha felt a painful grip on his arm, then the hand yanked, nearly pulling his shoulder from it's socket. The grip released him and he opened his eyes to find himself flying through the air seconds before he impacted the ground and bounced to a stop.

Sitting up he rubbed at his painful shoulder and looked around. "What happened?"

"Get up you moron. Fight. Don't just stand there and die." A gruff voice sent chills down his spine and he turned in time to see Vegeta slaughter the soldiers surrounding them.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The mysterious Saiyan youth had watched as Vegeta shoved past him. He'd readied himself to intervene, but, much like Frieza, he had been stunned when the Prince ascended to Super Saiyan. Wide eyed, the teen watched the tyrant's demise. _'Mom said Goku was the only one to be a Super Saiyan at this time. What's going on?'_

As Frieza was incinerated, the teen snapped out of it and lifted into the air to find someplace to hide and wait for Goku to land. His escape was thwarted before he got more than a few yards as Vegeta suddenly appeared before him.

The Prince crossed his arms. "Where do you think you're going? You have a lot of explaining to do."

A fleeting look of worry crossed the youth's face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stepped in. I only came here to speak with Goku."

Vegeta lifted his lip in a sneer. "Kakarot isn't here. You can speak with me."

The teen back up from him, hands up placatingly. "Really, I can't"

A cry of warning drew both Saiyan's attention. They watched as a soldier leveled his blaster at a distracted Yamcha and fired.

Vegeta snarled at the youth. "Don't make me track you down or you'll regret it."

The Prince disappeared in a flash of movement. Reaching the frozen warrior, he jerked him out of the way of the blast before killing the soldiers he could reach.

A sudden silence fell over the battlefield as the last of the alien soldiers fell. A silence only punctuated only by the harsh breathing of the human fighters.

Yamcha still sat gaping up at the Prince as everyone converged around him.

Chiaotzu grabbed his shoulder and shook him out of his trance. "Yamcha! Are you ok?"

The scarred fighter nodded dumbly at him.

Vegeta was watching the strange Saiyan youth. The teen had powered back down and his lavender hair was blowing lightly in the breeze.

The Prince didn't take his eyes off the youth as he called out across the battlefield. "You can start explaining yourself now."

The teen reluctantly strode over towards them, eyeing Vegeta who was still in his Super Saiyan state. He sighed. "I really can't say anything. I'm only supposed to speak with Goku and then leave."

Vegeta snorted, and crossed his arms. "I told you already, Kakarot isn't here so just tell us."

It was quiet as Vegeta stared down the teen.

The incoming hum of an airship drew a groan from the Prince. "Damnit! I told her to stay home!"

Dust picked up and blew around the group as the ship landed. Carefully sliding her body out and dropping to the ground, Bulma pressed the button to encapsulate it. Then turning, she made her way towards the warriors.

Disgust showed on her face as she carefully stepped around the fallen soldiers. "Oh, man. I missed it. I didn't get to see Frieza on Namek, and wanted to see him here."

Finally she looked up and noticed Vegeta's transformation. Her eyes widened and she rushed forward, latching on to his arm and pulling his head down to examine his hair. "Oh, this is so cool! It still mostly feels the same, just almost kind of tingly."

Vegeta blushed in embarrassment and tried to gently extract himself from her hold. "Woman, stop it. I'm a warrior, not a doll."

Bulma let go and frowned. Just as suddenly it was gone as she saw the stranger in their midst. She smiled warmly at the youth who was staring at her stomach with impossibly huge eyes. "Hi! I'm Bulma. Who are you?"

The teen glanced up at her face for a moment before he spoke. His voice was shakey. "You're pregnant."

The blue haired woman laughed. "Yeah, that happens to us women sometimes."

She moved to step towards him, but was stopped by Vegeta's arm. "Bulma stay back."

Cocking her head to the side, she looked at the Prince. "Why?"

A small hand grabbed hers and then Gohan was pulling her towards the back of the group. He looked up at her. "It's dangerous. He won't tell us who he is. All we know is he's a Super Saiyan and he wants to talk to Daddy."

Bulma looked over at the youth and called out. "Goku isn't here. He hasn't come back from space."

The teen nodded his head, still looking towards Bulma's figure. "I know. But he will be here in a few hours. He should be landing just a little ways away. I really can't say anything without him here."

Piccolo stepped into the youth's line of sight, blocking his view of Bulma. "Then perhaps you should show us where he's going to land."

The youth nodded and lifted into the air.

Vegeta looked over at Krillin. "Keep her safe, or else."

The bald man rubbed the back of his neck nervously before moving towards Bulma. "Don't I always?"

Everyone launched into the air, following the teen to the new destination.

After a short flight, they landed at another rather desolate spot.

Krillin carefully set Bulma down by a small boulder a good distance from the youth. The other human fighters landed close by. Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan positioned themselves between the teen and the rest of the group.

The Saiyan teen stood there fidgeting for several minutes before finding a rock to sit on. He kept casting glances over towards the group in general as if trying to memorize their faces. His gaze kept lingering on Bulma.

Finally Vegeta had enough. "Stop staring at her. If you so much as move towards her I'll kill you."

Startled at the warning, the youth jumped up in surprise. "I'm sorry."

He fumbled around in his pocket before pulling out a capsule case. Selecting one he tossed it to the ground. With a poof of smoke a container appeared. Reaching down he opened it to reveal it was a small capsule fridge. He looked over at the group. "Um. I've got drinks. Would anyone like anything?"

Gohan looked up at Vegeta. The Prince nodded his head towards the youth and Gohan cautiously made his way over.

The teen looked over at him. "What would you like?"

Gohan looked in the fridge. "Grape."

With a smile, the youth handed him the drink. Gohan took it and trotted back over to Vegeta's side. The teen watched curiously as the boy handed the drink to the Prince who opened it and took several deep sniffs.

Finally, Vegeta handed it back to the child. "It's safe."

The youth looked affronted at the comment. "I wouldn't poison anyone."

The Prince shrugged. "We don't know you. With what the boy and I have been through, he's right not to trust anything."

Giving a nod of understanding, the youth looked back over the rest group as they came forward to get refreshments.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The hours seemed to drag as they sat waiting. There was small talk, but the strange youth refused to give them any personal details.

A very subdued Yamcha sat next to Tien, staring into nothing. Finally tired of his gloominess, Bulma walked over and stood in front of him. "What's wrong with you?"

He looked up at her but didn't answer.

Gohan floated over to Bulma's side. "He's been like this since the battle. He just stopped fighting and one of those soldiers would have killed him, but Uncle pulled him out of the way."

Bulma blinked in surprise. Looked over at the Prince, back at Yamcha, then blinked again. "Vegeta saved you?"

Finally Yamcha answered her. "Yeah. I kind of just froze."

He looked over at the Prince's dark hair. "Did you know he was a Super Saiyan?"

Bulma shook her head. "No. He doesn't talk much about the training they do."

Gohan tugged at her sleeve. "That's because it was supposed to be a secret weapon. It happened when we were in space. Only Piccolo knew."

She walked over towards where the Prince was sitting and smiled at him. "So how did you do it?"

Vegeta looked up at her and she could see sadness flicker across his face for a split second. "The boy was almost killed."

She looked confused when he wasn't more forthcoming.

It was the strange youth who enlightened them. "The first transformation is driven by emotions and need. In my experience it's been death. I'm glad the kid lived."

Vegeta shrugged. "There was a regeneration tank and he had a spark of life left in him."

Gohan piped up in the background. "It wasn't all bad. I was a lot stronger when I got out of the tank."

The Prince rolled his eyes at the boy's antics. "The boy is powerful enough for the ascension. I've been working on trying to find a trigger for him that doesn't involved someone dying in front of him."

The lavender haired youth stiffened. "He's to young. Don't do it."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at him. "Why not?"

The teen looked down at his hands. "He's half Saiyan. The ascension is different the first time."

The Prince let out a growl when the youth didn't continue. "How is it different?"

The youth looked away. "I can't say."

A sudden thought ran through Vegeta's head. He turned to Bulma. "Speaking of regeneration tanks, there should be one on Frieza's ship back there. We'll have to get it. You can scavenge any other useful technology from there as well."

She looked at him thoughtfully and dug through her pockets. "You're right. I think I have a large capsule somewhere here. We can just take the whole ship. If I don't, I can go get one and come back for it."

Anymore talk was cut off as the fighters all looked towards the sky and stood up.

Bulma looked around questioningly. "Is it Goku?"

Gohan let out a whoop of glee. "Yes!"

Soon a round spacepod came barreling though the atmosphere to crash into the earth in front of them. Everyone made their way to the lip of the crater and waited as the pod's door opened. An oddly dressed Goku stepped out of the pod and stretched.

Noticing his audience he looked up and waved. "Hey everyone! How did you know I was going to be here?"

Piccolo waved his hand towards the purple haired teen. "This boy here knew when and where you were going to land. He says he needs to speak with you."

Goku had a serious expression on his face as he floated out of the crater to stand with the group. He looked over the youth. "Have I met you before?"

The teen shook his head. "No. I only know of you by reputation. I need to speak with you, though. Somewhere privately."

Vegeta snarled at the teen. "We've been waiting for an explanation for hours. You're not getting out of telling us that easy."

Eyes wide the teen took a step back. "Really. I was only supposed to speak with Goku. I wasn't supposed to do anything else. I only stepped in against Frieza because Goku wasn't here yet. He should have arrived first and defeated Frieza."

Goku smiled. "Frieza had a faster ship. I was getting ready to clobber him for good, but you took care of him."

The youth frowned. "You were three hours behind him. You wouldn't have made it on time."

Another smile came from Goku. "Maybe normally, no. But I learned a new skill on this planet called Yardrat. The people there aren't very strong but they know a lot of weird stuff. The skill is called Instant Transmission. It's a type of teleportation."

The teen's face fell. "So I changed history for no reason by helping. I knew I had messed up when Vegeta killed Frieza."

Stunned surprise showed on Goku's face as he turned to look at the Prince. "Vegeta killed Frieza?"

He broke out in a huge grin. "That's great! I'm glad you got to avenge everyone."

Vegeta gave him a look of disgust and anger. "I wouldn't have had to if you'd finished him off in the first place!"

Goku laughed sheepishly. "Um, so anyway, how did you get enough power to do it?"

The Prince looked him straight in the eye. "I'm a Super Saiyan."

The taller Saiyan flinched. "Who died?"

Vegeta didn't answer, just turned and walked over to stand beside Gohan.

The youth had watched them nervously. "Um. I really need to just speak to Goku and leave before anything else changes."

Bulma caught up to his words this time. "You said that before. What do you mean about changing history."

Fear passed across the teen's face. "Forget I said anything about that!"

Now he had everyone's attention.

Piccolo stepped up to him. "I think we all need to hear what you have to say now."

The teen stepped back from him. "Everything is already so different."

Bulma rubbed her chin in thought. "So you're from the future and things were already different before you got here right?"

The youth looked her over and nodded his head. "Yeah. It looks like it's been different for a while."

She gave him a warm smile. "It's ok. If it's already different, you shouldn't be able to change anything for the worse."

Bowing his head in defeat, the teen spoke. "I'm from twenty years in the future. My world has been devastated by biological androids. Cyborgs. In three years, on May 12th around 10am, the duo will appear on an island southwest of South City. They were created by the chief scientist of the Red Ribbon Army, Doctor Gero."

Bulma broke into the conversation. "Hey, Goku. Didn't you defeat them?"

He looked over at her. "Yeah. That was a while ago now."

The youth continued when they looked back at him. "Yes. Gero somehow survived and apparently still wanted world domination. So he created his ultimate killing machines. Number 17 and Number 18. They killed him, but they only enjoy slaughter and destruction. They have sent our world into ruins."

Goku frowned. "You were confident that you could take down Frieza but these two scare you?"

The teen nodded. "Yes, but there are two of them after all, and I have to fight them alone."

Piccolo crossed his arms and looked over the teen. "Don't you have any allies?"

A flash of sorrow crossed the teens face. "In the battle three years from now, everyone is killed but Goku and my mentor, Gohan. He teaches me to fight, but 16 years from now he's killed. They are just to strong."

Goku cocks his head to the side. "Why don't I help you?"

The teen looks at him. "You grow ill soon and die."

A startled gasp rings through the group. "WHAT?!"

Goku looks upset. "That's not fair. I want to fight the androids."

The youth gives him a sad smile. "My mother was right. You're a true Saiyan."

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a vial and hands it to Goku. "It's a virus that attacks the heart. It's an incurable disease in this time, but 20 years from now we have a drug for it. Take this when the symptoms start."

Goku smiles in joy. "Thanks! I can't wait to fight!"

The tall Saiyan looks over at the youth. "Say, you didn't tell us what your name is."

The teen held up his hands, glancing towards Bulma. "I really can't say. I'm not sure I'll be born in this timeline anyway. I've changed to much."

A growl echoed over the group and the Prince stomped up to the teen. Vegeta grabbed the youth by the collar and pulled him face to face. "I've had enough of this. Who are you?"

The purple haired teen began to panic. "I-I can't tell you! Everything is already so different!"

The Prince snarled in anger and powered up to Super Saiyan, the buffeting winds of his aura blowing purple strands out of the teen's fearful face. "You had better start talking! I don't like things being kept from me!"

Suddenly Gohan's small voice caused everyone to jerk their heads towards him. "It's Trunks!"

Bulma's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "You know, that makes perfect sense."

Vegeta looked back at the youth he was holding. The full blown panic he saw in the boy's eyes confirmed the guess. "That's impossible. He smells like a pure bred Saiyan, not a half breed!"

An excited Gohan practically bounced where he was standing. "But the ship said it was possible! Maybe he..."

 **"** **Shut up** **! " **A half snarled bellow silenced the child. **"** **We do not speak of that in front of the humans** **! "**

Gohan hung his head submissively. **"** **I forgot** **. "**

Bulma eyed the two. "What ship?"

Vegeta waved her off. "Forget he said anything. It's not important right now."

He turned his attention back to the youth he was holding. He pushed him away, releasing him. "Is the boy right? Are you Trunks?"

The teen seemed to be having a mental meltdown. He fell to his knees and covered his face. His voice was quiet and full of despair. "Y-yes, but you weren't supposed to know. How could he even guess that? I won't be born for a few years."

Bulma padded quietly over. This time Vegeta didn't offer a protest. Kneeling beside the teen, she began to gently stroke down his back. "It's ok. It seems our timelines are very different. Everything will work out fine."

He moved his hands away from his face to stare at her with his blue eyes. "I was supposed to keep my identity a secret. Now I definitely won't be born here."

Bulma laughed lightly before grabbing his hand in hers. She placed it over her swollen belly. "No. It seems you'll just be making an earlier appearance here. Trunks is the name we just recently decided on for the baby."

Wonder, shock, and confusion warred on Trunk's face. He pulled away from Bulma and stood. "I guess I better be going. Good luck to you all."

He turned and took flight and the group watched until he was out of sight.

Goku stepped up in front of Bulma and looked her over. "You're going to have a baby? Oh wow. I thought you had just gotten fat."

Rage filled Bulma's eyes and she slapped the tall Saiyan. He cowered before her. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Bulma turned and stalked away. "You better be, or I'll make sure you don't eat for a week!"

True fear showed on Goku's face. Just as quickly it left and he smiled.

He turned and looked around for his son. He kneeled down and opened his arms. "Gohan! I've missed you. Come here."

The boy launched himself into his father's arms, hugging him tight. "I missed you so much, Daddy. I really needed you here."

Goku smiled down at him. "Well I'm here now, and we're a family again. Hey let's go see what your mom is doing."

The reaction in Gohan was instantaneous. Goku watched in confusion as the boy jerked back and tried to pull himself from his father's hold. His face filled with panic when he couldn't get away and he screamed. "Uncle!"

A fist plowed into Goku's face, shoving him back several feet and causing him to lose his grip on Gohan. The boy fell to the ground, looking around in terror.

Vegeta lifted the boy from the ground and to a hip. Small hands gripped his armor tightly. He stared in disgust at the taller Saiyan. "You're not taking him anywhere."

Goku's eyes narrowed dangerously. His voice promised pain. "Give me back my son."

The Prince held the boy tighter to his chest. "He's not your son anymore. You lost the right to call yourself his father when you left him to the torture of that bitch you call a wife."

The taller Saiyan glared. "Don't call her that. She wouldn't do anything to harm Gohan. He's her son."

Gohan cried out, his voice high pitched with fear. His grip on the Prince increasing. "Don't let him take me back to her! You promised Uncle! I want to stay with you!"

Goku felt his heart shatter at the words. "What?"

Vegeta snarled, baring his canines at Goku. "Deny the facts all you want! The boy is staying with me! You left him! You didn't return on the wish! Now he's mine!"

The Prince turned and stormed back to the rest of the group.

He paused by Krillin. "Make sure Bulma gets back safe. If anything happens I'll rip your arms off."

Turning to Bulma he ran a hand down her upper arm. "Stay safe. I'll have words with you later for even coming out here."

Leaping into the air with Gohan securely against him, Vegeta sped off into the distance.

A strangled cry of despair drew everyone's attention. They watched at Goku fell to his knees and hung his head. He kneeled there taking fast shallow breaths. His hair flickering between gold and black, a visual sign of his loss of control.

Peering up with pained eyes, he met Bulma's gaze. "I've lost my son and I don't know why. What happened Sis?"

Bulma felt her own tears begin as she rushed forward to comfort the man before her. She had never seen him like this. No enemy had every been able to break him like this. She pulled him into her arms. His head rested on her shoulder as she ran soothing hands down his back. "I'm so sorry, Goku. I'm so sorry."

* * *

 ** _o_**

 ** _o_**

 ** _o_**

 _*When I originally came up with the ideas and outline for this AU story, I had a few things go through my head. One was fixing the irritating issue of the kids going Super Saiyan when it took a traumatic trigger for everyone else, including Future Trunks. So in my little universe it's somewhat standardized. Another issue was some of the genetics. C_ _onvergent evolution can make species looks similar, but that doesn't allow crossbreeding, so Saiyans had to be divergent from humans somewhere. I have hows and whys for that. Those secrets will be revealed slowly at future times. Some clues have already been given, of which even my spouse missed some and they have foreknowledge of what's going on._

 _As was mentioned in a review, Yes I think it was said somewhere that the halfbreeds only have a 50 percent chance for a tail (which doesn't make sense to me) I think it was also said at some point that Akira Toriyama just forgot about the tails. Me. I like the tails. They will have tails._

 _I'm liking Chi-Chi less and less with watching DB Super. Both me and my spouse had the same reaction to some of her scenes. That was "What a bitch." And the horror that they have done to poor Gohan!*_


	15. Burning Heart

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*There were a few reviews expressing a bit of dismay so I want everyone to know, I like Goku. That bit in the last chapter has been planned and mostly written from the beginning of this story.*_

 _*I almost feel bad for starting off this current wave of Chi-Chi hate fanfiction. Or maybe everyone else has just watched Super, though those episode were out after I started this. The loss of Gohan's potential after the Cell saga just makes me cry. And Saiyaman makes me cringe in so many ways. And yes, the fanfic ' Saiyan Unleashed' was one of the three inspirations for this story.*_

 _*Updates may take a bit more time with the holiday stuff. I will admit though, that I usually have the next chapter done when I publish one. It's less suspense if I publish them on a semi-regular schedule instead of sporadically.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 15: Burning Heart**

Vegeta's mind was filled with anger as he flew swiftly through the air. Gohan's trembling was finally beginning to calm. He looked down at the boy before shifting him into a bit more comfortable position.

Gohan relaxed his death grip as they flew further through the air. Watching the scenery pass below them, he recognized landmarks telling him they were heading home. Neither spoke as they flew on.

Mrs Briefs was busying herself with cooking when Vegeta opened the outside kitchen door and strode in. Lack of her usual smile as she looked over to see who was there spoke volumes about her silent worry. The disheveled appearance of her grandson and the hard look in the Prince's eyes had her rushing over to them. When Gohan turned his head to look at her, she could see the tracks that tears had taken down his face.

Bringing her hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp she met Vegeta's eyes. "What happened?"

Vegeta grunted and moved towards the table, sitting Gohan into a chair. "His father is back."

The blonde woman squealed in delight. "Oh that's wonderful!"

The look on Gohan's face dampened her excitement. "I don't want to go with him, Grandma! He wants to take me back to Mom!"

Mrs Briefs dropped to a knee and hugged the boy. "Don't worry. I'll talk with him. We won't let you go back there."

As she stood back up, she looked him over. Experience had taught her the best way to improve a Saiyan's mood. "You look like you've been fighting. You must be hungry. Would you like a nice snack to help you feel better?"

Gohan nodded his head silently.

Soon a large plate full of sandwiches and a glass of milk were set in front of the boy. He began eating slowly, then with more enthusiasm.

The two adults had sat in chairs on either side of the child as he ate. When he finished the snack, he waited quietly. He knew someone was going to speak.

Vegeta looked at him with unreadable eyes. "You know you will have to see your father."

Gohan stiffened at the words, shaking his head no.

A sigh escaped the Prince. "I was very angry back there and I lashed out to protect you. He did not know what she had done to you. I will have to speak to him as well to make sure he knows that you will be protected from her at all costs."

He paused and looked over towards Mrs Briefs. "I'm sure by now that the situation has been explained to Kakarot. We'll see what he chooses to believe. That will dictate my actions regarding him. I'm positive that they will be coming back here soon."

The older woman nodded. "Thank you for taking care of Gohan. I can't imagine what would have happened to him without you here."

The Prince blushed and looked away. "Whatever. Never speak of it again."

Mrs Briefs smiled at him, then got up to finish cooking the meal. She had to make extra now.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma sat in a kneel, holding close the Saiyan she had known so long as family. "I'm sorry, Goku. It's not your fault, but you need to know."

She took a deep breath, knowing she was going to hurt one she loved with the information. "Chi-Chi had been beating Gohan. Well really torturing him. Mentally and physically. It started after your battle with the Saiyans."

Goku leaned back and stared at her. "But I never saw her do anything to him."

Bulma stroked his cheek. "You were in the hospital for so long then. He was alone with her and I think she tried to hide what she was doing. Really though, I think it started long before that. She didn't want Gohan interacting with anyone and forced that excessive schooling on him. You even had noticed and mentioned it when you brought him to Kame House to see us. She had a fit he was going to see your friends."

She reached up with her other hand and cupped Goku's face. "You're part of my family. Gohan didn't even know that until the trip to Namek. When he showed up to get on the spaceship, Mom and Dad were so stunned to find out he was your child. They wanted to know why you hadn't told them. I didn't know at that time how controlling Chi-Chi had been. I got to know Gohan better on that trip. Then after we were all wished back to earth, he was so nervous. He begged me to let him stay with me, that he didn't want to go with her because she would hurt him. I didn't think anything could be as serious as he said. After all he was still just a little kid."

Bulma took another deep breath. "She came with Dad in the transport ship he brought to pick everyone up. When Chi-Chi rushed out of it she was insane. She either didn't realize we were all watching, or she didn't care. She attacked the poor kid. Then Vegeta stepped in and took Gohan away. I don't know why, he's never told me."

Piccolo moved up beside the pair. "Vegeta reacted faster than I did. I don't understand all this child raising stuff and thought her reaction might be normal. Vegeta knew what it was doing to the boy and wasn't going to allow it. He told me one time that it was his duty as the Saiyan Prince to protect his people, as few if you left as their are."

The Namekian reached a hand down to help Goku to his feet. The tall Saiyan took it and stood, pulling Bulma up with him.

Looking off into the distance, Piccolo spoke again. "I don't think you've completely lost your son. Give the boy time to understand that you didn't know what was going on. He's been missing you greatly and was so excited to find you were home."

Goku grimaced in despair. "Vegeta isn't going to let me near him. You heard what he said."

Krillin came up behind his best friend and slapped him hard on the back. "Don't worry about it. Vegeta says a lot of things when he's pissed. Most of them he doesn't mean. He's actually pretty reasonable once he calms down and listens. He reacted so badly because Gohan was distressed. He's a bit over protective of the kid."

Tien looked over from where he had been standing and listening. "Are you forgetting that Vegeta came to Earth to kill us? You're talking like he's some kind of savior."

Piccolo leveled a glare at him. "To Gohan he is. Vegeta even gave up his pride to make sure the boy got the help he needed. I wouldn't have expected him to ever think of anyone else. But I know how Gohan is. He worms his way past all the walls you have built. The kid is genuinely likable and seeing him in pain effects those around him."

The Namekian turned back to Goku. "They went looking for you in space. Vegeta was determined to bring you back just to make Gohan happy. They ran into trouble at some point and Gohan almost died. That drove Vegeta to Super Saiyan."

Goku frowned and stared at the ground. "I know what it takes to trigger the change. I felt it when Frieza killed Krillin. I don't even want to think of that happening to my son."

Bulma gave him smile. "Gohan is fine now. Well, I guess maybe he needs some talking or he's going to be waking up the whole house with his nightmares again."

Goku tilted his head and looked at her. "Nightmares?"

Bulma nodded her head sadly. "Yes, nightmares. Chi-Chi really did a number on him and still haunts him."

Tien looked contemplative. "I'll withhold anymore judgement of Vegeta until I see more of how he is now. I guess if he means that much to a kid, there must be some touch of good in him."

Now Bulma gave him a glare. "I'll have you know that there is plenty of good in him. I wouldn't have spent all those months worrying about him if he was just some emotionless killer. He thinks that of himself enough and doesn't need everyone else holding what he did while enslaved against him. He's been trying so hard to change. Heck he puts up with my Mom and you all know how she is. Anyone who can put up with her cannot be bad."

Krillin let out a laugh. "He likes your Mom. She feeds him and they sit and talk over tea. I think your parents have done more to help him adjust to his abrupt change in status more than anything else. They accept him for who he is and from watching, I don't think he wants to disappoint them."

Hands on her hips, Bulma stared Krillin down. "You don't think I've done anything to help?"

He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "I never said that. What you've done is different. You're more like how Gohan is to him. Just pay attention to how he watches you. He's really mad you came out here. I know he thinks you endangered yourself and the baby."

Krillin looked off into the distance for a moment. "Man, I can hardly believe that future guy was your kid. We at least know he grows up to be a badass Saiyan warrior."

A soft, melancholy voice called from behind the group. "Can we all go now? I'm going to need to train a lot if I'm going to have any chance of not dying."

They all turned to see a depressed looking Yamcha sitting on the ground and staring at the sky. He turned his head to look at them. "It's just...I almost died again today. And Vegeta of all people saved me. I can't reconcile it in my head yet."

Bulma reached into a pocket and pulled out her capsule case. Selecting a large airship she tossed it out on the ground. "Yes. I think we should all go back to Capsule Corp. We can talk more there."

Tien cleared his throat. "Thank you for the invite and everything, but I'm going to take Chiaotzu and head out. We have our own thinking to do."

With that he lifted into the air. Chiaotzu waved back at their friends as they flew off.

Reaching out, Bulma grabbed Goku's arm and pulled him towards the craft. "Come on. I noticed I do have an empty large capsule and I have to pick something up on the way home."

Goku looked at her with sad eyes, but allowed her to do as she wanted with him.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Other than the short side stop to retrieve Frieza's ship, the flight back to Capsule Corp went by quickly. No one spoke. Goku and Yamcha sat in their own little worlds of depression, thinking over events.

Piccolo exchanged a meaningful glance with Krillin. They both knew that the two fighters would need to be watched carefully for a while.

When they stepped off of the airship, the warriors looked at each other. It was painfully obvious that Vegeta was there. His chi was raised as a warning to the others. What the warning was, none of them really knew.

Bulma quietly re-encapsulated the craft and headed towards the kitchen door. She waved at the hesitant warriors to follow.

Piccolo placed his hand on Goku's shoulder for just a moment. "Go talk to him. Vegeta won't fight in the house. I'll be out here meditating. Yell if you need me."

Krillin grabbed ahold of Yamcha and steered him past Bulma and into the house. He could feel Vegeta's eyes on them. He lead the scarred warrior off into the living room and pushed him into a chair.

The bald man smiled at his friend. "We'd best stay here for a bit. This is a family thing and we need to stay out of it."

Yamcha raised an eyebrow and snorted. "If it's family, why is Vegeta in there?"

Krillin gave him a hard look. "Whether you like it or not, Bulma made Vegeta part of her family."

The stunned look he saw made Krillin sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. "Didn't you know? They don't exactly hide it. Well Bulma doesn't. Vegeta just doesn't like showing emotions in public. I think Panchy was the one who pushed for it, though. Didn't want any issues with the gossip."

The scarred man gave a groan of dismay. "Are you serious?"

Krillin gave him a comforting pat on the arm. "Bulma is still your friend. Just watch and give everything a chance."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Goku took a deep breath, steadying himself for what was coming. He quietly followed Bulma into the house.

As the blue haired woman stepped inside, three pairs of eyes looked in her direction. She shrugged and walked over to help her mother. Both women went silently about their task, surreptitiously watching the two Saiyans at the table.

When Goku stepped inside, Gohan jerked to his feet ready to bolt. Vegeta grabbed the boy's arm and pushed him back into the chair. "Sit down and listen boy. This needs to be done."

Gohan sat reluctantly and scooted his chair over closer to the Prince.

With Vegeta watching his every move, Goku walked up to the table and sat down. He steepled his fingers nervously as he looked between Vegeta and Gohan.

Watching as his son refused to even look at him, Goku felt his heart clench again. His voice was quiet as he spoke to the boy. "I'm sorry, Gohan. I didn't know what she was doing to you. If I had known, there is no way I'd have left you alone with her."

Vegeta watched the other Saiyan with angry eyes. "You should have come back on the wish. Four months was long enough to be in control."

Facing the Prince, Goku gave him a look of sadness. "You should have had the dragon tell me what was going on. I would have given up on learning a new technique if I had known. Gohan is more important to me than fighting."

Goku looked down at his hands. "Thank you for saving my son. You're right. I don't deserve him if someone else had to step in and do my duty as a father."

Vegeta leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. "So what are you going to do now? Go back to that harpy? I won't let you take the boy."

Goku felt his choice was obvious. "No. I want to be available to my son, if he ever is willing to talk to me."

He looked over at the child. "I swear I will never let Chi-Chi get her hands on you. I hope that you can forgive me for even suggesting it back there."

Cautiously, Gohan turned his head to look at his father.

Vegeta put a hand on the boy's head. "Go see him. He didn't purposefully throw you away like my father did to me. You don't need to have the same resentments. I will be here."

Gohan watched the Prince for a moment before slowly getting up and making his way around the table. He stopped a foot away from his father and stared down at the floor, not knowing what to do. Very quietly he spoke. "I missed you Daddy. But I want to stay here with my family."

A sad smile found it's way to Goku's face. He reached out a tentative hand to touch the boy. "They are my family too, and I haven't seen them in a very long time. I just want you to be happy and safe."

Gohan stiffened under his touch before relaxing. Finally he lifted his head to meet his father's gaze. "You're not going to make me leave Uncle are you?"

Goku cocked an eyebrow and looked over at the Prince before pulling the boy closer and wrapping him in a hug. When Gohan hugged back, he felt his fear lessen. "No. What you have with your Uncle over there is special. I won't get in the way of it."

Vegeta grunted at the statement and gave the other Saiyan a nod. "Good. He's still mine."

Reluctantly, Goku nodded back at him.

The silence that followed was broken after a minute by Mrs Briefs who felt the talking was done. "Now that my boys are all getting along, why don't we have some dinner. I've made extra, I just know that you all have worked up an appetite."

Goku smiled over at her as he released his son. "Oh yeah. I could eat a ton!"

As dishes were placed on the table, Goku looked over at Vegeta. "I have to go see her. I have to know why she did it."

Vegeta gave him an understanding look. "Do what you must. Just don't let her fool you."

Bulma walked over to the hallway and called out. "Come get dinner! Hurry up or the Saiyans will eat it all!"

With a laugh, Krillin came rushing into the kitchen, followed more sedately by Yamcha. Goku fidgeted impatiently and reached for one of the dishes.

Mrs Briefs was expecting it and grabbed his hand. "You know better. We wait for everyone."

Goku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Dr Briefs finally made it to the kitchen.

Narrowing his eyes, Vegeta stared Goku down, making him nervous. He motioned to the seat beside him where Bulma was sitting. "Move over here, Kakarot. I've heard about your atrocious eating habits. I want you within reach so I can beat some table manners into you."

Gohan snickered into his hand. Bulma gave a loud laugh and moved over to stand beside Goku. She gave him a nudge. "Move it buster, he's not kidding."

Goku reluctantly moved seats.

The unease that had been in the kitchen relaxed as everyone began to eat. Jokes and laughter followed after each of Goku's yelps of pain as he was disciplined. By the end of the meal, Goku was managing to not look totally like a pig. He sat rubbing his sore shoulder.

Bulma was busy laughing at the scene. "Vegeta, we needed you a decade ago. This is the neatest I've ever seen him eat."

Goku pouted at her words.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Mid-morning found Goku outside looking around the Capsule Corp grounds. He could see the Namekians meandering about doing whatever they felt the need to do. He gave a sigh and took to the air.

The flight went by in a daze for the Saiyan as he tried thinking of what he was going to say. Soon a small structure appeared below him.

Goku landed on the tall grass before the small domed house. His house. The house that he'd built with his own hands. It seemed almost foreign to him now. It had been over two years since he'd last seen it.

Opening the door he was met with silence. Sunlight filtered in through the windows, highlighting the layer of dust on everything. It was obvious no one had lived here for a long while. He shut the door without entering.

Turning towards the west, Goku lifted back into the air and headed towards the home of the Ox King.

The landscape passed swiftly below him and soon he found himself landing in front of a large house on the edge of a decent sized village.

He strode up to the door of the house and knocked. A few moments later, a well dressed man in a suit answered.

The man looked over Goku's well worn fighting gi with disdain before speaking. "How may I help you?"

The tall Saiyan ignored the man's rude behavior. "I'm here to see Chi-Chi. Tell her it's Goku."

The man stepped back and motioned towards some seats in the foyer. "I will inform the Princess. Wait here."

Goku sat in one of the chairs and waited while the man wandered off to perform his duty.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Three fancily clad ladies were chatting around a small table having brunch and tea when the butler knocked on the frame of the open door before entering.

One of the dark haired women raised a hand and gestured for him to speak.

The man bowed low. "Pardon me, my lady. There is a man at the door to see you. He says his name is Goku."

The woman was on her feet instantly. "What? Was he wearing a martial arts uniform?"

The butler nodded at her. "Yes, my lady. Do you wish me to send him away?"

Grinning evilly, the woman gave her friends a knowing glance. "No. Show him to my room. I'll speak with my _husband_ there."

With a bow the butler turned on his heal and left.

The other women had watched in interest. One of them spoke up. "So, Chi-Chi. What are you going to do?"

Chi-Chi brought a hand to her chin in thought. "Well he's more animal than man and pretty stupid. He should be easy enough to manipulate. Even though I would rather not let that monkey freak touch me, I can put up with it if it will get me my son back."

Her friends looked disgusted. "Are you really going to seduce him?"

Chi-Chi had a malicious look on her face. "Of course. That's how you deal with men to get what you want. He'll do everything I say."

She turned and strode off to enact her plan.

As Chi-Chi stood outside the door of her room, she schooled her features into a worried look. _'He's always been so easy to control. Soon I'll have what I want.'_

She opened the door and took in the features of the person standing in there waiting. Stepping inside she closed the door behind her.

Giving a coy smile she closed the distance between her and the Saiyan. "Oh Goku! You don't know how much I've missed you. I'm so glad that you're back."

He watched her curiously. She wasn't acting how he had been told. "Hi Chi-Chi. It's been a long time. I need to talk to you about..."

Standing on her toes, she cut off his words with her lips. Wrapping her arms around him, she began to sensually run her fingers over his body. She whispered against his mouth. "Don't talk right now. I've got something I want to do for you. Then you can do something for me."

He tried to step back and pull himself away from her. "No, I don't want to do that."

She followed him, rubbing her hands seductively across his chest.

Confusion warred in Goku's mind. What Bulma had told him about Chi-Chi had been confirmed by his family. Gohan's reaction at just the mention of her name had been enough to help cement the truth. In some part at the back of his mind he still knew she was his wife and he really wanted everything he had been told to be wrong. He was a male of a species more driven more by instincts than any human. She took advantage of this knowledge. Her touches drove all thought from his head and his resolve shattered. His body gave in and responded.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

They lay on the bed next to each other, trying to regain their breath.

Staring at the ceiling, Goku felt confused. _'That was not supposed to happen. Bulma said that Chi-Chi has some sort of hate against aliens. If she had an issue with me, knowing what I am now, why would she do this?'_

Steeling himself he turned his head to look at his wife.

Chi-Chi was drawing lazy circles on the Saiyan's chest, preparing herself for the next phase of her plan. When Goku turned to look at her, she gave him a cunning smirk. "Well. Now that you're all satisfied, you can go retrieve my son for me."

 _'Her son?'_ Goku tensed at her words. The vision of his son terrified and clinging to his former enemy flashed through his mind. No, he would not be the cause of more pain for his son. "Gohan doesn't want to come back here. I won't make him."

Chi-Chi snarled in fury. "WHAT?! How dare you?!"

Leaping from the bed, she grabbed a vase from a dresser and threw it at Goku. He jerked sideways, avoiding the object.

Face set in grim determination, he got off the bed and began to dress, ignoring the woman screaming profanities at him. As he tied his sash into place he faced her. "My son does not want to be near you. I won't bring him here."

The woman's face turned a deep shade of red. "You damn monkey! I only slept with you to get my son! Now you will get him for me!"

She reached behind the dresser and pulled out a sword then faced him again. "I'll geld you like should have been done a long time ago! You lied to me and made me think you were human! You tricked me into marrying a monster and birthing demon spawn! You owe me! Now get me my son so I can fix him!"

Anger flashed across Goku's face, but he kept his calm. "You're the one who tricked me when I was only 12 and forced a promise I didn't understand. I had a tail. Everyone knew I wasn't normal, even if I didn't know I was a Saiyan."

He took a deep breath. "I see that what I've been told was right. What happened to you Chi-Chi? I thought you loved me?"

She gave him a look of disgust. "I loved being with a strong man, not some alien freak!"

Goku watched in sadness as she raised the sword up and charged at him. He lifted his hand towards his head. The steel blade slid easily through the air and embedded itself into the floor.

Chi-Chi stared in surprise at the empty space where Goku had once stood. Then she scream in fury.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Goku suddenly materialized in front of Vegeta, half startling the other Saiyan. The Prince narrowed his eyes and growled in anger. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Never do that again!"

There was no response from Goku. He just stood there staring at the ground and started to tremble.

Vegeta sniffed the air and looked at him in disgust. "You've got to be kidding me. How could you do that with that woman?"

Goku continued his staring contest with the ground. "I didn't mean to. I didn't really want to. It's just..."

He looked up at the Prince with pained eyes. "You were right. You all were right about her. She tried to get me to bring Gohan to her. Then she attacked me when I refused."

Goku's shaking was beginning to worry the other Saiyan. "What's wrong with you? What did she do?"

The taller Saiyan looked back at the ground, his voice was choked. "She used me. She used my baser instincts against me to try and get what she wanted. I let her do it and she tried to use it as blackmail to get my son."

 _'Damnit I'm going soft. But he's the only other full blooded member of my race left.'_ The Prince looked at him in concern. He'd seen this before on Frieza ships and knew that something had to be done. Vegeta roughly grabbed hold of Goku's arm and hauled him into the house. He forced him into a chair in the living room and yelled for Mrs Briefs.

The older woman came running from her sewing room. "What is it, Vegeta dear?"

He gestured towards Goku. "That bitch forced herself on him and now he's not acting right. Talk to him. I don't know how to fix this. I'd get the Namek, but he wouldn't understand the problem."

Horrified, the woman rushed around the couch to her adopted son. He flinched as she pulled him into her arms and stroked his head. Her voice was soft and soothing as she whispered to him. "It's ok, baby. It's not your fault. We're all here for you."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Several days passed quickly with Vegeta waking both human fighters living in the house before dawn and forcing them to practice. Protests were met with a snarl. "Do you want to die in three years? I sure the hell don't. And if I have to rely on your asses to have my back I'm going to make damn sure you're at least halfway competent. At least the Namekian is taking this seriously."

Bulma smiled from her balcony as she watched the sweaty warriors exit from the Gravity Room and head towards the house.

She slipped back inside and lay in wait for her Prince.

Vegeta opened the door and stepped into the room, shoving the door closed with a foot. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Without turning, he wrapped his tail around Bulma's arm and pulled her to him as she squeaked in surprise.

She gave the Saiyan a playful slap to the arm. "I hate not being able to sneak up on you."

He smirked and pulled her closer, resting his head on her shoulder. Only in private could he fully relax.

Bulma scratched her nails gently through his hair. "What's wrong?"

Vegeta grunted. "I've turned into a damn nanny for a bunch of brats. I swear Gohan is more mature than any of them."

Bulma let out a laugh. "You keep saying that your the Prince of all Saiyans, well it looks like they are making you act the part."

She got a growl in reply and laughed again. "Oh, it can't be that bad. Whatever you are doing has done wonders for Yamcha's mood and self confidence. He hated you and now you have his grudging respect."

Bulma stroked his cheek. "With how you have become, I have no doubt that you would have been the best leader the Saiyans ever had. Maybe they would have used some of their power for good."

She felt a bit of anxiety as Vegeta grabbed her shoulders and held her out at arms length, scrutinizing her every feature. He just stood there as he took in her words. His voice was soft when he finally spoke. "You're right. I **am** the Saiyan Prince. The dead are avenged. I shall do what I was born to do and lead the living into the future."

Vegeta pulled her into an embrace. They stayed there like that for a while in quiet comfort.

Bulma stepped back from the Saiyan slowly. "Go take your shower and I'll go see if Mom needs any more help with lunch. Are you taking Goku out for 'special therapy' again this afternoon?"

Vegeta nodded in reply and began to strip off his sweaty clothes.

Bulma gave him a radiant smile as she paused by the door. She knew very well that the two Saiyans talked about their feelings with their fists. "Good. He needs it."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

It was mid-afternoon and the weather was mild.

Yamcha and Krillin were resting their aching bodies inside in front of the television.

Mrs Briefs and Bulma were outside on the patio setting everything up so they could have barbecue for dinner while Gohan was finishing up his schoolwork quietly at a table where the two women could see him.

The day seemed to be going very quiet and peaceful.

That illusion was shattered by a shrill voice coming from around the corner. "Where is Goku?! I know he's here!"

In a panic Gohan dove under the table to hide. He watched with wide eyes as Chi-Chi came into view.

The two Briefs women stared at her cautiously.

Bulma crossed her arms defiantly. "You were told by Vegeta to never come back here."

The black haired woman gave her a sneer. "I do what I want. I don't take orders from any space monkey."

Bulma took a step forward towards the woman, only to be pulled back. Startled she looked over to see her mother beside her.

Wiping her hands off on her pant legs, Mrs Briefs stepped up in front of Chi-Chi. "You've done enough harm to both of my boys. I won't let you hurt them anymore. Now get off of my property."

Chi-Chi just laughed. "You can't make me. Now get Goku here, I've got unfinished business with him. And after that you will give me my son."

Mrs Briefs put on hand on her hip and shook the finger of her other hand at the woman. "Now see here missy, I told you to leave."

Without another word, Chi-Chi lunged forward. Swinging her leg around in a kick she knocked the older backwards on the patio. As she fell, Mrs Briefs head struck a chair and began to bleed. Moaning in pain, she tried to sit up as Chi-Chi loomed over her.

Bulma began to scream as she rushed towards her mother. "Krillin! Yamcha! Help!"

Bulma lay herself protectively over her mother. Mrs Briefs weakly tried to push her off. "No. The baby."

Chi-Chi laughed at the women as she pulled back her leg to kick again. "I have to make you pay for not listening to me. I'll get rid of whatever monster that is that you're carrying."

Gohan had watched his mother in terror from his hiding place. He felt fury as his grandmother was struck down. As he watched the blood drip to the ground from the gash on her head, he felt something full of anger and rage stir inside him. When Chi-Chi drew back to harm Bulma and the baby, he snapped.

He felt it, deep inside himself. Screaming at the burning pain, a beast awoke, uncurling and springing to life at the _need_ to protect. As the transformation overtook him, his blood boiled raging hot, burning away at his humanity. All that was left was the beast. A beast with golden fur that stared out of baleful teal eyes.

Narrowing his gaze upon his target, Gohan dashed out from the table and struck. Chi-Chi went flying across the grass.

She tumbled to a surprised stop and struggled to her feet as she looked around in anger. "Who dared to hit me?!"

Her gaze landed on Gohan's menacing form. His blonde hair swaying in the waves of chi he was releasing. Golden tail lashing in anger behind him She spit in disgust. "Oh a worthless little monkey punk dared to attack me? I'll teach you a lesson."

Gohan let out a feral growl and began to advance.

Chi-Chi began to feel concern, then real fear as the boy's killing intent washed over her. She took a step back, then another.

Gohan leapt into an attack, fist flying towards her.

She screamed in terror and closed her eyes, bracing for impact. After a moment with nothing she opened them again to see grunting Piccolo holding Gohan's fist inches from her face.

The Namekian snarled at the woman. "Get the hell out of here and never come back."

She backed up away from the boy. "Thank you."

Piccolo glared at her as he struggled to contain the child. "I didn't do this for you. Gohan doesn't need your blood on his hands. Now leave before I release him."

Eyes wide in fear, Chi-Chi turned and ran.

Gohan fought against Piccolo's grip, turning and twisting. Trying to inflict damage on the one keeping him from his target. His vision was clouded with a red haze and the burning pain he felt was becoming too intense to stand.

Piccolo concentrated on evading the child's blows. He spoke gently and steadily, trying to reason with the boy. "Gohan, you need to stop. You're family is safe now."

Recognition slowly crossed Gohan's face and he relaxed his stance. He was calm for a fleeting moment. Then he fell boneless to the ground and began to scream his throat raw in pain. "No! It burns!"

As unconsciousness overtook Gohan, his hair faded back to black. Piccolo reached down to pick him up and and jerked his hand back in surprise. He cast a worried glance over at Bulma. "Something's wrong. He's burning up."

There was a displacement in the air and suddenly Vegeta and Goku were standing on the grass.

Goku looked around for danger. "We felt a large chi from here. Where is it?"

Seeing the fallen boy first, Vegeta reached down and lifted him into his arms. He hissed at the heat radiating of the boy's skin.

Goku reached out to stroke his son's face. He too gasped in shock at the heat. "What's going on? What happened to him?"

Piccolo stared at Gohan in worry. "Chi-Chi came. She attacked your mother."

Vegeta snarled in rage. "I told her to stay the hell away. What did she do to the boy?"

Taking a step back, Piccolo looked the Prince in the eye. "She didn't touch him. He ascended."


	16. Lucidity

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*So things really go AU from here. Well on some things at least. My cannon and reference for this story is the manga, so no movies or Garlic Jr stuff. I also won't be using Super even if it comes out as manga. It would be thwarting my plans.*_

 _*This chapter did not go as planned. (evilly eyes the weasels that force me to write weird stuff) What was supposed to be fairly simple turned into THIS. Heck, the original plan on this whole story was around 9 chapters and 20k words. (eyes story stats and laughs) It's got a life of it's own.*_

 _*With holidays and such, it might be a few weeks before the next chapter. I haven't had much time to write.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 16: Lucidity**

Vegeta stood holding Gohan in his arms. He fought back the urge to hunt down the vile woman and instead focused himself on the boy.

He looked up at Piccolo. "Fetch the small Namek, the one named Dende, to come heal the boy."

Goku reached out to take his son from Vegeta's arms. He was met with a snarl and a flash of sharp teeth.

Giving a low growl at the Prince, Goku refused to back down. His eyes flashed dangerously. "He's my son and he's hurt. I will not leave him."

Vegeta stared the other Saiyan down with narrowed eyes then turned back towards the house. Taking in the scene there, rage flowed through him once again. He had to take several deep calming breaths to control himself. The feel of a rising chi behind him, told him that Goku had just now noticed it as well.

Several long strides brought both Saiyans to where the two women half lay on the ground. Bulma clutched desperately to her mother, crying.

At that moment Krillin and Yamcha came rushing out of the house, looking around for the danger.

The small man assessed the situation in confusion. "What happened? We sensed a huge power and came running."

Bulma spoke in a half broken voice. "Chi-Chi came again. She was looking for Goku and Gohan. This time she attacked Mom again and then there was the blood, and I just reacted. I thought she was going to kill Mom and I threw myself in front of her. Then she threaten to kill the baby. And I don't know what happened. Suddenly Gohan was here, glowing golden. I can't sense chi like all of you but even I could feel his rage. He hit her once and then Piccolo stopped him. Then Gohan screamed and passed out."

The human fighters stepped up quickly to the women. As Krillin moved to pick up Mrs Briefs, Vegeta stopped him. "Don't move her yet. The little Namekian healer can fix her first. Then you can take her inside."

Ignoring the Prince that was scowling at him, Goku lifted up one of Gohan's limp hands and held it. His brows furrowed in concentration. "It's like he's on fire inside. He's got that sharp smell like humans do when they have a high fever."

Vegeta's scowl was no longer directed at the other Saiyan, but at some internal thought. "That boy from the future. He warned me not to push Gohan to ascend but wouldn't say why other than he was to young."

A gust of wind announced the sudden return of Piccolo carrying a wide eyed Dende. He carefully set the young Namekian down and gestured towards the Saiyans. "Gohan needs healed."

Vegeta shook his head. "Heal the women first."

Dende nodded and walked over to assist the two women. Kneeling he gave Mrs Briefs a sad smile. "I'll fix you right up. It isn't right that you keep getting hurt like this. You're not a fighter."

His hands glowed as he concentrated and soon the wound was gone from the woman's head. He gave her another smile before looking at the blue haired woman beside him. "It's your turn, Bulma."

She startled the small Namekian by pulling him into a quick, grateful hug. "I'm fine. Just thank you for healing my mother. Now go fix little Gohan."

Dende took the steps towards the Saiyan Prince slowly and cautiously.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes as he laid Gohan on the ground. "I'm not going to hurt you, so hurry up brat."

Swallowing hard, Dende knelt beside Gohan's prone form and spread his hands over the boy. Closing his eyes, he concentrated for several long minutes. Letting his hands fall into his lap, he opened his eyes and looked up to meet the gaze of the two Saiyans watching him. "I cannot heal him. There is nothing physically wrong with him."

Vegeta snarled in rage and grabbed the Namekian child by the collar and hauled him into the air. "What do you mean you can't heal him?"

Dende trembled in the Prince's grasp. "I don't know what's wrong with him. It feels like he's changing into something else."

There was silence for several minutes as the words sunk in. Vegeta set Dende on the ground then turned. Grabbing his hair in frustration he stomped off a short distance, then began to swear in every language he knew. "That damn machine didn't give us all the information! How the hell was I supposed to know what it meant about a species specialization trait! And it never said anything about it injuring the halfbreeds! Damn it!"

He screamed to the sky, then turned around and stormed back up to Gohan. Kneeling, he reached out and felt the boy's head. "He's way to hot for even a Saiyan. We have to bring the temperature down or he'll die."

Vegeta turned his head and looked up at Goku. "Kakarot. If you have any favors you can call in from Earth's god you better do so or your son may die."

Any relief that Goku felt from Vegeta acknowledging that Gohan was his son was quickly replaced with fear. He squatted down by Gohan's head and stroked the boy's hair out of his face. "Hang in there, Gohan."

Standing back up, Goku studied the Prince for a moment before speaking. "Please take care of him for me. I'll go see what I can do."

Placing two fingers to his forehead, Goku concentrated and then was gone.

Vegeta closed his eyes for a moment, then reached down and picked up the small boy before standing. He strode towards the house, pausing by Bulma. He looked her form over for injury before speaking. "Bring lots of ice. I'm going to put him in a cold bath."

Bulma struggled to her feet with her mother's assistance. Mrs Briefs gave her hand a squeeze before turning and grabbing Krillin and Yamcha by the arms. "You two boys can help me carry ice up while Bulma gets Gohan's bed ready."

Quietly, everyone hurried to comply.

Piccolo frowned before looking over at a worried Dende. "Quit fretting, kid. I'm sure he'll be alright."

The two Namekians moved towards the house to wait in vigil over their friend.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Goku materialized in front of Korin, startling the old cat. Anxious to be on his way quickly, the Saiyan didn't bother with greetings. "Hey, can I get a senzu bean from you? It's really important and I don't have much time."

The white cat appraised him for a moment, delving into the Saiyan's thoughts to see what the hurry was. Frowning at what he saw, Korin moved swiftly across the floor to a table and retrieved a small item. Hurrying back to his impatient visitor he held out the small bean. "Here. You're lucky. It's the only one that's ready right now. I hope your boy will be ok."

Taking the bean, Goku securely pocketed it. He gave Korin a sad smile as he raised two fingers to his forehead again. "Me too. We're not sure what's happening with him."

Then he was gone.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Kami and Mr Popo didn't so much as jump when Goku appeared before them. Clutching his staff, the elderly Namekian moved forward. "Welcome, Goku. We've been expecting you. Young Gohan's power rising so high drew our attention, so I had a look in. Take me to him so that I can see if there is anything in my power I can do to help."

Goku gave a sigh of relief before grabbing hold of Kami's arm, glad to not have to explain the situation. "Thanks so much. I don't want to lose him."

Again he brought two fingers to his head and concentrated.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma was holding Gohan's head as the unconscious boy floated in the ice bath. She frowned as she ran a hand over the boy's arm. His skin was still to warm even in the water. She looked over to where Vegeta leaned against the wall watching. "So you think he's turning into a Saiyan?"

The Prince gave her a nod. "I didn't know it was tied into the Super Saiyan transformation. With the very little information we had, I thought the Oozaru transformation would just change him slowly the more he used it. That's why I've been having him practice it so much."

He pointed a finger at the child in question. His voice was filled with desperation. "This is a catastrophic transformation, and he's so small I'm not sure if he can handle it."

Vegeta's eyes softened as he watched Bulma stroke the boy's head. "Promise me that no matter what happens with these androids, that if I die, you will not let that child you carry ascend until he is much older. There should never be a repeat of this."

There was a slight shimmer in the air and then Goku and Kami appeared in bathroom.

Earth's god moved towards the bathtub and sat beside Bulma. He laid a hand on the boy's head and concentrated. After a moment he stood back up and gave Goku a look of resignation. "There is nothing I can do. His body would likely recover, but the stress was to much for one so young."

Goku frowned. "I got a senzu. Will that help?"

Kami shook his head sadly. "No. The boy's soul is lost. Soon the body will follow with death if the soul doesn't find it's way home. Unfortunately, this would be a natural death. Even Shenlong will not be able to recover him."

With a cry of despair, Goku fell to his knees. "I hadn't really seen him for two years. Now when I get to spend time with him he's going to be taken from me permanently."

Vegeta growled with anger before moving in front of Kami and grabbing the front of his robes. "Go retrieve his soul and return it to his body!"

Kami returned the Prince's glare with a steady gaze. "I'm just a small god in charge of caring for this planet. My powers are very limited. Perhaps King Yemma may be able to assist."

Shoving Kami away, Vegeta turned and stepped over to Goku. Grabbing the other Saiyan's arm, he pulled him to his feet.

Goku stared off into nothing, lost in his anguish.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes then struck. A loud slap echoed through the small room, but it had it's desired effect.

Goku now was paying attention to the Prince. "Why did you hit me?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vegeta snarled at the younger Saiyan. "Weren't you listening? We need to speak with that red ogre that judges souls. Use you're little teleporting trick and take us there."

Comprehension finally dawned on Goku's face and he lifted two fingers to his head once again.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan's consciousness awoke to nothingness. Opening his eyes, his vision saw no color. Neither darkness or light prevailed. Just emptiness, nothing.

Despair rose up to fill him. _'I'm that boy on the ship. Left to die alone.'_

"Gohan." It was but a whisper at the very edge of his thoughts, but his mind latched on to it and clung with all hope.

"Gohan." The voice seemed to call again, slightly louder than before. The boy spun in the direction of the sound.

"Gohan." Still seeing nothing, the child rushed towards the sound, seeking some solace in this endless emptiness.

"Gohan." Now he could make out a shape cloaked in ethereal light.

The boy cried out in relief. "Uncle? Is that you?"

A chuckle echoed hollowly from the figure. "Yes, you could say that."

Relief flooded through the boy and he dashed up to the now crouching figure.

As he got closer, the person's form suddenly became vivid and recognizable. Gohan's eyes widened as he skidded to a halt mere feet from the male. "You're not my Uncle."

The figure stood to up to his full height, his long dark hair brushing against his calves. He looked down curiously at the boy. "But I am. Don't you remember me?"

Gohan took a step back from the imposing figure and fell into a battle stance. "Raditz. You're the one who kidnapped me."

The tall Saiyan chuckled darkly at the child. "Good. You're mind is still intact. For a moment I thought you were lost to the void. You can relax whelp, I'm not here to hurt you. You don't have to be afraid."

Eyes narrowed, Gohan took a step forward and prepared to strike at the first provocation. "I'm not afraid anymore. Uncle taught me not to fear."

Raditz crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Who is this Uncle you refer to? I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one you have."

Gohan's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "It doesn't matter. Where am I and why are you here?"

The Saiyan raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I'm not here to fight with you boy. Or do you harm. I'm here as a guide of sorts."

He paused and looked around at the nothing. "As for where we are. This is the border of your waking mind, where darkness and light are one. The boundary between life and death."

Now it was Gohan's turn to look at him confused. He relaxed from his stance and just stared at the other male. "So I'm dead? This isn't like what the guys described."

Raditz gave him a pitying smile. "No, you're not dead. Yet. Whatever it is that you did, it's consuming your body. I was told your soul hasn't come to terms with it and was set free to wander into this nothing."

He looked the boy over closely. "There must be something very special about you. You drew the attention of someone with authority. He actually interrupted my torture in hell to offer me a choice. Continue to rot there, or accompany you in otherworld forever. I thought he was joking, adding some new anguish to my pain. But in the end I agreed. I was given some information and left here to wait for you. I'm the only family you have dead that knows you exist and they don't leave children to wander lost."

Raditz gave the boy another sad glance. "Look, kid, there's a problem if you die. They can't send you to the children's heaven because you're a warrior, bloodied in battle. They don't want to leave you in heaven all alone. That would just be another type of hell. And no matter what terms your father and I were on, you're still kin."

Gohan sat on the nothingness and pulled his legs up to his chest as he thought over everything. Slowly his eyes began to droop and he gave a yawn before laying down. He was roughly jerked up by the arm and shook back and forth.

He glared up at Raditz who was looking at him with wide eyes. "Why'd you do that? I just want to take a nap."

The Saiyan gave him another shake. "No! If you go to sleep here you will die. As much as I like the thought of staying out of hell, it's better for you to live and continue our race."

Gohan's body relaxed even while hanging in the rough grip. His eyes grew heavy again.

The nothingness around them was brightening. The familiar shape of Earth's check-in station forming in the distance as pavers came into view beneath their feet.

Raditz grabbed the boy's chin with his free hand. "Open your eyes and look at me. I want you to talk to me. Tell me a story. Tell me anything. Just keep talking."

Gohan struggled to lift his eyelids. His eyes crossed with the effort before finally focusing. He felt himself lifted up to be cradled in Raditz's arms.

Broken mumbled words came out of the boy's mouth as he forced himself to speak. "M-my Mom...she did horrible things to me..."

Raditz stared at the boy in horror as he listened to the tale. _'His mother is as bad a Frieza.'_

The surroundings were still gaining sharpness and the Saiyan sighed in defeat. He began carrying the barely conscious form towards the building. Unformed wisps of dead souls shouted and complained about him cutting their line until he turned and glared. They drew silent as their invisible eyes took in the small form he was clutching. None of them liked seeing the death of a child.

Gohan's words were getting softer and slower as they reaching the looming structure. A faint hint of halo started to form around his head. The Saiyan held the boy tight as he stepped through the doors.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Without warning, Goku and Vegeta appeared in entry room of Earth's check-in station. Releasing the other Saiyan, Vegeta shoved past the soul being judged, and stood in front of the large mahogany desk of King Yemma.

He stared up at the ogre. "We need the soul of Gohan returned to his body."

King Yemma stared down at him in annoyance. "I'm trying to run things smoothly here. Wait your turn."

Goku spoke up from behind the Prince. "But King Yemma, we're not dead. And my son isn't dead yet. We were told might be able to help us find his soul before he does die."

The judge of the dead glared at them. "Goku. I remember you. Always causing me headaches. Well there's nothing I can do for you. I can't interfere with those who are dying. I only see them after they are dead."

Vegeta clenched his hands in rage. Just as he was about to yell a soft voice interrupted from a corner of the room. "The boy's soul is not in harmony with his body."

Everyone turned towards the voice. A small cloaked figured stepped out from the shadows. His face was mostly hidden by his cowl, revealing just his purple skin and his mouth. "I selected an agent to accompany the child in heaven after he passes."

Both Saiyans stared at him.

Goku was trembling with anger as he spoke. "So you just left him to die? Why couldn't you bring his soul back to his body?"

The being sighed. "It would do no good. Such a change as he has undergone was meant for adults. His soul must accept that his body has changed. It was to much of a shock for such a young child. When his soul sleeps here, his body will die."

Vegeta took a menacing step towards the cloaked figure.

All movement and noise stopped in the space as a tall shape stepped through the door and spoke. "Hey, I've got the boy, but he's still falling asleep."

Eyes turned towards Raditz and a chill went down the Saiyan's spine. He looked pleadingly at the cloaked figure.

An incoherent mumble came from the boy he carried. The sound snagged Goku's focus and he rushed forward and grabbed Gohan from his brother's surprised grasp.

Shaking the boy gently, he called to him. "Come on Gohan. Wake up for Daddy."

A light groan came from the small body.

Then Vegeta was there. He reached out and slapped the boy across the face. "Wake up."

Goku pulled his son back away from another strike. "Don't do that!"

The Prince gave a snort of disgust. "I'm only doing what needs to be done. Look. His eyes are open."

The hint of halo had faded from Gohan and he stared with unfocused eyes. His voice was weak but clear when he spoke. "Daddy? Uncle?"

Goku smiled down at him. "Yeah, we're here. We need you to wake up."

Vegeta cast a glance over at the cloaked being. "So his soul just needs to realize what he is?"

The figured nodded. "Yes."

The Prince reached out and grabbed Gohan from his father's arms. He turned and walked out of the building. "Come boy. You missed your training today. Now it's time to fight."

Gohan stared up at him hazily. "But I'm so tired."

Vegeta gave him a glare before dropping him to the ground. "Warriors are never to tired. We get up and we fight no matter what. Now prepare yourself."

The Saiyan dropped into a fighting stance. A smirk formed on his face as he watched the boy struggle to get his limbs to work.

Finally Gohan pulled himself to his feet and stood swaying unsteadily. Vegeta dashed forward and hit the boy with a light punch, sending him flying backwards. A groan came from the child as he stumbled back to his feet. He tried to put his arms up in a defense.

Vegeta hit again, sending the boy sprawling once more. This time Gohan got to his feet quicker.

The Prince repeated his attacks with more strength and speed as Gohan struggled to keep up.

Goku watched from the sidelines, glaring at the scene. "Why are you doing this, Vegeta? He doesn't need this right now."

The cloaked figure spoke from behind him. "Actually, it seems he does. Gohan is waking up. This might work."

Raditz stepped up beside Goku and crossed his arms. "That kid of yours is something else."

As they watched the fight was getting more intense as the Prince pushed the boy harder and harder. Then with a sardonic smile, Vegeta ascended and continued his attack.

Raditz's jaw hit the floor. "H-he's the Super Saiyan!"

Goku gave a slight nod, still watching the fight. "Yeah. He first ascended a while back I guess. A few months after I did on Namek. That's what caused this whole mess. Gohan ascended. I think I understand now what Vegeta's trying to do. Just watch."

Raditz stared at his brother in disbelief. "What?! There's more than one? And the boy's one, too?"

Nodding again, Goku watched as Vegeta continued to dominate the fight.

Gohan glared up at the Prince. _'Why is Uncle being like this? He hasn't been so mean to me in a long time."_

Frustration and anger coursed through the boy at his inability to defend himself. He gave a scream of rage, pulling on forth all the power he could reach.

Both Goku and Vegeta smiled as they watched Gohan's hair burst into gold. The boy's teal eyes glared fiercely at his opponent, then he attacked.

Vegeta braced his arms to block the punch. A snort of surprise slipped from him when the boy's hand went through his arm.

The Saiyans' looked on in shock as Gohan's form became transparent then vanished.

Goku turned to confront the cloaked person. "What happened to my son?"

The figure smiled. "His soul returned to his body. That was an interesting tactic. I suggest you remember this for when the next child ascends. Though, I suggest you keep them from it until they are much older than Gohan."

Powering down, Vegeta gave another glare at the being. "You know to much about our race. Who are you?"

A smirk formed on the purple face. "You may call me an Ancient if you must. Your early ancestors called me that as they didn't know who I was. Now, I would suggest you return to greet the boy when he wakes. He might hurt someone on accident."

Goku gave a grunt of agreement and laid a hand on Vegeta's shoulder as he brought his fingers to his head.

Vegeta's gruff voice left a slight echo as they vanished. "I will get my answers."

The cloaked figure just smiled before turning to face a stunned Raditz. He cocked his head at the Saiyan. "Yes, they all are Super Saiyans. It's possible with work and the right motivation for any Saiyan to become one."

He circled the tall Saiyan as he continued to speak. "You kept the boy awake, even though only through his death could you remain out of hell. I'm curious as to why?"

Raditz fidgeted under the scrutiny. "He's just a kid and he's my kin. I earned my punishment. I know that. Really nothing changes for me, but I guess I helped a tiny bit on changing things for my nephew. I'm ready to go back."

The smile on the figure grew wider. "No. I don't think you are. I see that with the right motivation, potential shines through. I have some errands that you can do for me if you are agreeable. First though, we will have to get you properly attired."

The Saiyan shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. How long will this last?"

The figure pulled back his hood, revealing white hair as his taller companion appeared next to him. He gave another smile. "Forever most likely."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Goku and Vegeta reappeared outside the bathroom, next to where Piccolo leaned against the wall.

Vegeta motioned Goku towards the door with his hand. "Get the boy. We don't need Bulma getting hurt."

Piccolo looked at the Prince curiously. "What's going on?"

Turning and walking towards the boy's room, Vegeta beckoned the Namekian to follow. "I told you about the rage issue with the ascension. Hopefully your lessons will help the boy. For now we have to keep him isolated from everyone else until he's under enough control."

Piccolo gave a grunt of understanding. "I'll keep the others out. When he wakes, call me in if he needs help with the meditation."

Goku swept past them into the room, carrying the small towel wrapped figure.

Vegeta gave a nod to the Namekian before he too entered and closed the door.


	17. Life Anew

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Sorry this is late. Holidays and all. Then I just wasn't happy with this chapter and rewrote the thing six times. I really meant to get it out earlier this week. This chapter takes care of some of the tension that I've been hinting at building during the last few chapters. I was also yelled at by my spouse for ending the last chapter where I did.*_

 _*I also had a sudden idea run though my head and know what I'm going to do with Raditz. I hadn't planned on using him much, but it the idea just fit in so well with something I've had planned in the future.*_

 _'word' =_ thoughts

 **{word}** = Namekian

 **Chapter 17: Life Anew**

A quarter moon cast it's pale light though the window, illuminating the two figures that stood vigil over a young boy tucked snugly into a bed. Twilight turned the inky darkness outside into shades of violet, heralding the approaching dawn.

No words were spoken between the two beings. Silence reigned except for soft breaths and the occasional shifting of weight or the turning of a head to look out at the coming morn.

When sunlight broke the eastern sky, Vegeta finally pushed off of the wall he'd been leaning against. A few strides brought him to the side of the bed. He stared down at Gohan's small form. Reaching out a hand he settled it on the child's arm and gently shook him. "Boy, wake up."

Goku was suddenly beside the Prince, grabbing his wrist. "Let him sleep."

Vegeta gave a snort before wrenching his hand away. "He needs to get up. He's slept long enough. The sooner he starts working on his control, the safer everyone will be."

As he reached out to nudge the boy again, he was jerked away by a rough hand on his shoulder. He turned to glare at the other Saiyan.

Goku let out menacing growl and narrowed his eyes. "You need to leave my son alone. I can take care of him myself."

Ripping the hand off of him, Vegeta sneered at the taller male. "Just like you've been taking care of him the last couple years? The Namek had him for one of them and I've had him for the last year. You don't even know Gohan anymore."

Burning rage reared it's head as the frustrations and anger of the last few days washed over Goku. His fists clenched and his eyes flashed to teal. His only desire at that moment was to wipe the smug look off of Vegeta's face. Without warning he struck. His fist sent the Prince flying through the window in a rain of shattering glass.

With a snarl Goku followed, intent on ridding himself of the source of his problems. His eyes and nose scanned the area, seeking his target. A sudden burst of chi behind him alerted him in time to block the incoming attack.

Vegeta stared into the wild eyes of the other Saiyan. "What the hell is wrong with you, Kakarot?"

A feral growl was his answer as Goku moved to attack him again.

Vegeta's brow furrowed as he dodged. Darting backwards, he lured the other Saiyan further away from the home.

Suddenly Goku vanished, only to reappear behind the Prince. Reaching out he grappled him into a headlock and dove towards the ground, intent on launching his victim into it.

Gathering his chi, Vegeta powered up to Super Saiyan. He drove an elbow into his captor's gut causing the hold to loosen enough for escape. Spinning he landed a kick in the other Saiyan's face.

Goku wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth as his hair flashed to gold. He glared at the Prince. "I spared you, and in return you try to take everything from me. My son. My family. I should never have let you go!"

Vegeta felt his own temper flare. He breathed in deep, tightening his control on his rage. _'When this is over, I may have to actually thank the Namek for those lessons.'_

He cautiously watched his opponent, gauging his strength. "I've taken nothing from you! If anything you should be thanking me that you HAVE a son still!"

A flash of movement and there was suddenly no time for more words. As battle lust took over, there was only the fight.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The loud crash from Gohan's room, plus the sounds of the subsequent fight, awoke the residents of the home. They rushed towards to the boy's room in fear of what they would find.

Piccolo stood in front of the ruined window, his cape billowing in the breeze as he stared out at the warring combatants.

Bulma made her way towards him with wide eyes. "What happened?"

The Namekian gestured out the window. "I knew this was coming. They've been growling at each other for days."

Casting a worried look at her parents, Bulma moved towards the door. "I'm going to go stop them."

Piccolo grabbed her arm. "They need to work this out for themselves."

Yamcha and Krillin rushed into the room, looking for the source of destruction. One glance outside told them all they needed to know.

Krillin groaned out loud. "Did they have to do this now?"

Yamcha clenched his fists and turned to face Bulma. "See! I told you that Vegeta couldn't be trusted. Now he's trying to kill Goku."

As she opened her mouth to respond, Bulma was cut off by Piccolo. "It wasn't Vegeta. Goku started this fight. I think to much has happened to quick."

A groan from the bed caught everyone's attention. Piccolo pointed towards the door. "Out. Gohan may be unsafe to be around. Vegeta had said that the ascension makes them quick to anger."

The human's hastily exited the room, worried etched on their faces.

Gohan awoke to the sounds of battle in the distance. He struggled for a moment before his heavy eyelids finally opened. With a groan he sat up and took in his surroundings. A cool breeze blew in through the gaping hole where a window once had been. He eyed the broken wall in bewilderment. "What's going on?"

A snort from near the doorway caused the boy to whip his head in that direction. Piccolo leaned against the frame with arms crossed. "Vegeta and Goku happened."

Worry flashed over Gohan's face, followed by excitement. He struggled out of the bed. "Why are they fighting? I want to go fight with them, too."

Piccolo leveled his gaze at the boy. "Sit down and meditate. You need to make sure you have control of your emotions."

Gohan grimaced in irritation. "I'm fine. I want to go play with them."

The Namekian sighed. "You ascended. Vegeta said it makes your anger run wild. I'm sure whomever survives that battle will take you out to fight later."

Tilting his head to the side in puzzlement, Gohan looked up at his sensei. "What do you mean 'survives' ?"

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Goku cratered into the ground back first. His hair faded from gold to black as his energy plummeted. He struggled to get back up, but his body refused to work. All he could do was lay there gasping for breath. With one eye half swollen shut, he watched as Vegeta landed roughly on the ground near him.

The Prince took a stumbling step forward, losing his own golden hair. His right arm hung useless. A slow steady trail of blood dripped down it from a gaping wound. He took several more steps, stopping beside Goku. He raised up his left hand, palm facing the other Saiyan, and began gathering his chi.

Goku closed his eyes, accepting his fate. As the moments ticked on with no attack he spoke. "At least honor me enough to make it quick."

Vegeta stood there panting hard, staring at the fallen Saiyan.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

A loud explosion rumbled through the ground under the feet of the humans standing outside of of the Briefs' home. Dr Briefs held his shaking wife as they watched the dust cloud in the distance.

Bulma hugged her swollen stomach. Fear and concern showing on her face.

Krillin gently patted her back and tried to calm her. "I'm sure everything will be alright."

A sarcastic laugh echoed from behind them. Krillin turned to give the snickering Yamcha a dirty look. "You're not helping anything."

The scarred man waved him off. "I knew that Vegeta couldn't be trusted. His act was to good to be true. Now he's killed Goku."

Krillin scowled at him. "We don't know that anyone is dead. You're being a pessimist."

Yamcha gave a snort. "I can sense chi just as well as you. We all felt Goku's power drop right before that blast. Now there is just one weak spot of chi out there. I say we go finish Vegeta off while we can."

"No. Leave them be." Piccolo's voice held menace as he spoke from the doorway. He had both hands on Gohan's shoulders, holding the child in place. The boy was glaring at Yamcha and growling. His tail lashed angrily behind him.

Yamcha took a few steps back from the two, eyeing Gohan warily. "You know I'm right."

Piccolo shook his head, before pulling himself and Gohan out of the doorway. "You need to leave it be. We should all go inside."

Krillin gave the Namekian a contemplative look before nodding. He ushered Bulma into the house. The elder Briefs following behind him.

Staring pointedly at the door, Piccolo waited for Yamcha to comply. The human fighter gave a sigh before striding into the house.

Gohan narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth as Yamcha passed.

Piccolo tightened his grip on the boy, before pushing him into the house. "I know you can sense the same thing I can. Calm down."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The kitchen was full of tension as the humans sat at the table. Yamcha kept casting nervous glances across the room where Piccolo had Gohan standing. The boy was still watching the fighter and growling.

Finally Mrs Briefs could take no more. She stood up, pulling her daughter with her. "Well whatever has happened, we must go on. Let's focus on what we can take care of. I'm sure that after his ordeal yesterday, Gohan is plenty hungry. Let's make some breakfast."

The mention of food snapped Gohan out of his angry haze. He smiled at his Grandmother. He was held back from his attempt to go to her by his sensei's hands. Glancing up at the Piccolo he grinned sheepishly before turning back to the older woman. "I'm starving."

Bulma looked at Piccolo questioningly. "Why are you holding him there?"

The Namekian regarded her silently. "He's not in control of either his strength or emotions right now. He might hurt someone on accident. I'm just taking precautions."

The boy he was holding nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Vegeta said it causes some problems for a little while. Mr Piccolo taught some ways to help deal with it, though."

A startled gasp was heard from Mrs Briefs where she'd been standing looking out the window. Suddenly she was a blur, rushing towards the outside kitchen door. The humans left in the house looked at each other in confusion.

The blond woman's voice was shrill as it drifted in through the open door. "Look what you two have done! You're acting like little kids that haven't gotten your way!"

Her voice drew closer and everyone watched in awe as she pulled two badly beaten Saiyans into the house by their ears. A terrified look covered Goku's face and even Vegeta looked impressively cowed.

Releasing the two males, Mrs Briefs turned on them again. "Go get washed and dressed. I want you both back down here immediately."

Goku attempted to take a cautious step around. He winced as his knee buckled a bit under his weight. Vegeta slipped under his arm on that side, offering silent support.

As the two limped out of the room, wide eyes followed them.

Krillin looked around to make sure he wasn't the only one who had saw that. "What's going on with them?"

Piccolo gave a snort. "They seem to have worked out their problems finally. I told you that they just needed left be."

Bulma rounded on Yamcha. "I think you owe someone an apology. You and your assumptions."

Yamcha looked apologetic as he bowed his head in guilt.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The two Saiyan males sat side by side at the kitchen table, cautiously watching as the Briefs matriarch worked on preparing the upcoming meal. She would occasionally glance towards the two and narrow her eyes, causing Goku to shiver in fear.

The taller Saiyan leaned over and whispered softly to Vegeta. "She scares me when she's like this."

The Prince gave a slight nod. This was the first time he'd seen this side of the older woman and now he had an inkling of where Bulma got her temper from. He glanced down to the end of the rope tied around his wrist. His eyes followed it the short distance to where the other end was tied to Kakarot's wrist.

He whispered back to the other Saiyan. "We could easily break this flimsy thing off."

Goku gave him a look of horror. "No! You don't know what she'd do then. She might not feed us again."

Vegeta shuddered at that thought. He'd grown rather fond of having regular meals. Mentally he scoffed at himself. _'What the hell have I become? Letting weak human females control me. My ancestors are probably laughing their asses off.'_

Stretching, the Prince groaned as one of the multitude of bandages pulled tightly across a wound. He looked over at the now humming woman. "That ship that the Doctor is stripping apart has a healing tank in it. Both of us could use some time in it."

Mrs Briefs turned to glare at both Saiyans again before resuming her work. "I already let little Dende fix the worst of your wounds. Right now you two can suffer. Maybe it will teach you to get along. I won't have my boys fighting with each other like that."

An amused voice came from the doorway. "You both look like crap."

Vegeta and Goku both turned to scowl at Piccolo. That look changed to concern as they saw Gohan standing next to him. The Namekian nudged the child forward into a chair.

Goku gave him a soft smile. "Hey son, how are you feeling?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "Ok, I guess. I just feel angry."

Vegeta attempted to cross his arms, pulling Goku sideways into him. Snarling he dropped his hands back down to his sides. Focusing his attention back on the boy he studied him a moment. "Practice those exercises that the Namek over there has been teaching. They work."

He glanced sideways before looking over to Piccolo. Nodding his head towards Goku he spoke. "This idiot here needs to learn them as well."

Piccolo smirked at the Prince. "Of course. I will also remind you, that you should probably start working on part of your deal with Moori as well. That time has finally come."

Vegeta gave the tall Namek a frown. "I haven't forgotten."

A snicker caused Vegeta to turn his head towards the source. "If you keep laughing at us, Baldy, I'm going to blast you."

Krillin covered his mouth with both hands and tried desperately to contain his mirth.

Bulma gave an exasperated sigh. "Behave or you might get worse than just being tied together. I still can't believe you put a hole in the wall."

Vegeta gave a derisive grunt. "Don't blame me. That was all Kakarot's fault."

The taller Saiyan gave him a shove. "Hey, you were being a jerk and you deserved it."

The Prince shrugged. "Whatever."

The slap of a wooden spoon on the table in front of them had both males staring at Mrs Briefs with caution.

She gave them the evil eye. "You two aren't fighting again are you?"

Both shook their head, but only Vegeta spoke. "Of course not. We already settled our differences."

The older woman smiled brightly at them. "Good. I don't want to have to punish you again. If you're good boys, I'll take off the rope after breakfast."

Goku beamed at her. "Great! I need to go talk to Mr Popo today anyway. I'm going to get my tail back."

Dead silence met his announcement. Krillin looked at him nervously. "Um... are you sure you want to do that?"

Vegeta grunted. "Of course he's sure. Saiyan's are more powerful when they have their tails."

Goku laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. I might not have lost if I still had my tail."

The Prince snorted. "I'd still have won. You lack discipline and are to relaxed."

Bulma interrupted their banter. "But what about the moon?"

Vegeta waved it off as if it was nothing. "I'll teach him to control his Oozaru. The boy didn't have much trouble and Kakarot is an adult. He should learn faster."

Bulma watched Gohan's swaying tail with uncertainty. She had vivid memories of exactly what happened when Goku had changed. "If you say so."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Vegeta glanced over towards Goku as they flew through the air. "How many of them do we have now?"

The taller Saiyan looked lost in thought for a second as he felt the objects in the very large sack he carried. "Um... three Namekian and two Earth. How far is it to the next one, Gohan?"

Both adults looked over at the boy who was flying between them. His grip was firm on the radar as he studied it. "Right over the next set of hills."

He smiled at first one male, then the other. "This is so much better than when we were hunting for them on planet Namek. It's kind of fun this time."

The boy grinned evilly. Picking on the two adults had become his favorite past time. "But you two shouldn't have sneaked out. Grandma is still really mad about last week."

Goku laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, if we do this quick enough we can be home before she's gets back from getting her hair done."

Gohan smirked. "Just remember what you promised, or I might forget that I'm not supposed to tell her."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Where did you learn to be evil boy? Never mind, it was probably from your Grandmother. Remind me never to get on her bad side again."

The boy gave him a cheesy grin. "Ok! But it was Aunt Bulma. She also said that next time she's going too when Grandma makes you go shopping."

A shiver ran up the adults' spines at those words. _'One of the women was bad enough, but both?'_

The Prince shook off the dark thoughts. "Alright. Let's finish this up quick."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

It was dark by the time the Saiyans had finished their task. There was a slight air of worry as they flew home.

They knew they were in deep trouble when they landed outside the house. Mrs Briefs stood there with her arms crossed, tapping her foot.

Each Saiyan set down the sack they were carrying. Goku and Vegeta tried to avoid eye contact with her, looking anywhere but at the irritated woman.

Gohan ignored the tension as he hopped up to her, holding out his smaller sack. "Hey Grandma! Look what we did! We gathered all the Dragon Balls so the Namekians can make their wishes."

His wide smile was infectious and she grinned back at him. Uncrossing her arms, she called the other two over. "Let's go inside boys. It was so nice of you to help out our lovely guests. I'm sure they can't wait to go to their new homes."

Fear of the woman's punishment now gone, the Saiyans followed her inside and deposited their burdens in the living room.

Vegeta stood there a moment before turning back towards the door. "I'll inform the elder that everything is ready for them."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

It was a large group that stood outside on the Capsule Corp lawn in the mid morning sun. Two piles of glowing orbs sat pulsing in wait.

Bulma stroked one of the large Dragon Balls sadly. This was a closing chapter in her life and she knew it was unlikely she'd ever see one of them again. She looked over to where her parents were deep in conversation with Moori and a few other Namekians. A smile flitted across her face as she watched her father present the elder with a new set of golf clubs.

Looking to her left she saw Gohan tightly hugging Dende. She knew this was going to be hard on the boy. The small Namekian was his first and only friend his age.

A sad laugh escaped her as she watched Piccolo peel Dende from the Saiyan child's grasp.

A calloused hand gently grabbed her arm, drawing attention to it's owner. Vegeta looked at her with an unreadable expression. "The boy will be fine. He will just throw himself more into his training for a bit, so don't worry about him. Piccolo has already said he is staying, so Gohan still has him."

Bulma gave him an adoring smile, then hugged him. She giggled when the Saiyan turned his head away, lightly blushing. "I know. I know. No affection in public. You really should get used to a little bit, though."

The Prince huffed and crossed his arms as Bulma grinned and stepped back from him.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

As goodbyes were said, everyone gathered loosely around the two groups of Dragon Balls. A large space was left to one side in anticipation of the upcoming wishes.

With a huge smile, Bulma looked over towards Dende. "Are you ready to for this?"

The child gave her a nod of enthusiasm, then spoke. **{Porunga I summon you forth!}**

The sky darkened and in an explosion of light, the immense form of the Namekian dragon appeared. "You who have summoned me, what are your three wishes?"

Dende looked up excitedly at the dragon. **{I wish for the souls of those killed in Elder Caracol's village to be taken to Earth's check-in station.}**

Porunga's eyes glowed red. "It is done. What is your next wish?"

Dende looked over at Bulma. She gave him a quick nod before turning her attention back to the glowing orbs before her. "Shenlong I summon you forth!"

Another bright burst of light and the sinewy form of the Earth's dragon appeared. "You who have summoned me, I will grant any one wish that is in my power."

Bulma raised her hands and shouted up at the dragon. "I wish for everyone killed in Elder Caracol's village to be brought back to life!"

Shenlong's eyes glowed red. After a moment a large light appeared in the open space near the Dragon Balls, only to reveal the forms of many Namekians as it vanished.

Shenlong's voice boomed over the gathering. "Your wish has been granted. Farewell."

With another burst of light, the dragon vanished. Earth's Dragon Balls shot into the sky and scattered.

The newly revived Namekians were joyfully hugging their friends when they finally noticed the Saiyan Prince. He ignored the bitter looks they were giving him.

Dende took one last sad look around at his Earth friends. Moori laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It is time. Make the wish."

Looking up at the waiting form of Porunga, Dende spoke. **{I wish for all Namekians except the ones known as Piccolo and Kami to be taken to the planet we have dubbed New Namek!}**

It was a long moment as Porunga's eyes glowed red. "I have located said planet. Your wish shall be granted."

With that, groups of Namekians began to vanish until only Dende remained. Then he too was gone.

Porunga let loose a roar before dissipating and the Namekian Dragon Balls glowed bright as they shot into the sky and disappeared.

The small group of Earthlings left behind looked out over the empty and quiet yard.

Mrs Briefs sniffed morosely. "I'm going to miss them. It will be so quiet around here now."

Bulma hugged her mother's arm and then rubbed her own stomach. "Don't worry, Mom. I'm sure it will be loud enough for you in a few weeks. We have plenty to do to get ready."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Time had seemed to hurry and then stall. Currently minutes seemed like hours to those waiting in the private wing of West City Hospital.

Dr Briefs sat across from Gohan, a small portable chess set between them. Currently the Doctor was loosing, again. He looked over at his grandson. "You're very good at strategy, my boy."

Vegeta grunted from the wall he was leaning against. "Saiyan battle instinct. It's the same reason why he learns so fast. It allows us to adapt to our enemy's tactics and deal with them swiftly and efficiently."

Next to him, Goku gave a nod of agreement. "Yeah, but if they are really strong, sometimes it's just fun to fight."

A muffled scream and curses could be heard echoing down the hall. The waiting males glanced nervously in that direction.

Dr Briefs gave a nervous chuckle. "Are you sure you don't want to be in there for the birth, Vegeta?"

The Prince gave him a scathing look. "She made it very clear that if I stepped foot in that room she was going to remove a part of my anatomy I'd rather keep."

Goku laughed. "She'll forget all about that soon. Mom's in there taking care of her so everything should be fine."

Another scream rent the air, causing Vegeta to wince. A wail followed soon after.

The Prince pushed off of the wall and began to pace impatiently. The others in the room politely ignored his antics.

Finally a doctor entered the waiting area and smiled. "Congratulations. It's a very healthy boy. You can visit Ms Bulma and the baby in her room now."

The doctor lead the group down the hall, stopping before the correct door. "The birth went very smoothly. The only thing odd was the tail."

Vegeta snorted and slapped his own tail against the wall to draw the doctor's attention. "No it's not."

Opening the door, the Prince stepped inside only to come to a stop. He stared in awe at the sight before him.

Bulma beamed up at him from the bed, holding a small bundle to her chest. "Vegeta, come here and say 'Hi' to your son."

Goku gave Vegeta a hearty slap on the back, then pushed him over towards the bed. "Congrats! We have one more Saiyan in the world."


	18. Acceptance

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Yeah. Not sure where some of this came from. Really, really not sure. Some things had been planned to happen later. I haven't gotten caught back up, but have worked on the next installment quite a bit. There are always so many questions in the reviews. I hate not being able to answer them without giving away the future. And then there are the people who I swear are reading my notes and outline for this story.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 18: Acceptance**

It was nearly dark when Bulma and baby Trunks were finally released from the hospital on the third day. Bulma had been anxious to get out of the place, but the doctors had insisted that she stay a couple days due to the unusual circumstances of the birth.

Now she was gleefully showing Trunks off to Yamcha.

The fighter had plastered a smile on his face as he watched his ex-girlfriend go on about how adorable her baby boy was. Occasionally he'd nod blankly to something she said.

Watching their friend, Goku and Krillin shared a look between them.

The small man leaned over towards the Saiyan. "Is it just me, or does it seem like something is off with Yamcha to you, too?"

Goku nodded in agreement. "Yeah. He hasn't been acting right since I got back. Did something happen?"

Krillin shrugged. "He was acting a bit angry and bitter after Vegeta and Gohan were wished back. He found out then that Bulma was pregnant and Vegeta was the father. After that last fight against Freiza and his minions, though, that's when he got really depressed. Haven't you seen him moping around here?"

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, Goku gave a nervous laugh. "Um...Well I kind of had my own issues there at first. Then between Gohan growling at everyone half the time and Vegeta trying to beat the crap out of me every day the last few weeks, I hadn't really been paying attention."

He gave a deep sigh. "I guess I haven't been too good of a friend if I hadn't noticed."

Krillin shook his head in dismissal. "You've been busy with everything going on with Gohan. But with Yamcha, I have noticed, but every time I've tried to talk to him, he changes the subject or makes an excuse to leave. But tonight. Tonight is a lot different. You can feel the angst spiraling out from him."

Goku nodded in agreement. "Something needs done."

They both watch quietly as Yamcha excused himself from the happily chatting Bulma, then slunk out of the house. Goku followed at a discreet distance.

As Yamcha stepped out onto the darkened patio, a cool breeze washed over him ruffling his hair. Making his way past the furniture, he leaned heavily against the railing that divided concrete from lawn. He stared out at the darkness.

After what could have been to him minutes or hours, he rubbed at his eyes. The faint burning sensation of unshed tears refused to diminish. He hung his head, eyes unseeing. His voice was soft and almost broken when he spoke to himself. "What's the point anymore?"

"There is always a point to everything. What I want to know is what's wrong." The soft, deep voice from behind him startled the man.

Turning, Yamcha looked over the tall form of Goku. He took in a shuddering breath. "Everything is wrong. There is just no point to me being here anymore. What was the point of wishing me back just to take everything from me and tell me I'm going to die in a few years?"

Goku took a few steps to close the distance between them and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. He gave a comforting squeeze. "I don't see how you've lost everything. All your friends are still here for you, and we're training now to make sure that no one dies."

Yamcha dropped his head and covered his face with his hands. His voice was higher pitched when he spoke. "When I was with King Kai, I had a lot of time to think. All I could think about was that when I got wished back to life I was going make everything right by Bulma. I was going to make up for everything I'd ever done to wrong her in the past. Then, when I do come back to life, she shuts me down. She tells me that she's found someone else. So I man up and wish her the best. Then I try to go back to the career I'd left behind to take my mind off of it. When I come back to see my friends wished back to life, I find out that Bulma has been pregnant and that was like a nail in my heart. I'd always thought we'd eventually get married and it would be my kids that she'd have."

He gave a slightly hysterical laugh. "And then with the last wish, she wished that monster back to Earth. Then I find out that HE is the father of her baby. That was devastating. To find out that my replacement was an enemy."

His voice broke on the next word. "Th...then. Then Frieza came and I didn't want to die again, but I knew I had to help fight. I was fine, a little depressed, but fine. I just knew with the training that I'd gotten while dead that I couldn't be that much behind that Saiyan. Then he transformed. The amount of power I could feel coming off him, it made me feel so insignificant and week. I don't know what happened to me then. I just couldn't muster up the will to really fight the army coming against us. That last blast coming at me, I knew it was my end. But no pain came."

Yamcha looked at Goku with tear filled eyes. "My greatest enemy I'd ever been against. The one ultimately responsible for my death, even if he didn't do it with his own hand. He saved me from another death. I...I just couldn't handle it. Something broke inside me. I knew he was evil. I just knew this had to be a trick of some kind. He couldn't actually be capable of doing good. He even went out of his way to try and teach me, but I wasn't going to fall into his trap like everyone else. I've tried to perk up and be on guard. But watching Bulma in there so joyfully showing off his baby, that's just to much for me. It should have been my baby she was carrying. Now I know I've lost her. I lost my chance at happiness and a family. No one knows what this is doing to me, how I feel."

He gave a choked sob as Goku patted him awkwardly on the back.

The Saiyan looked off into the distance. "I know someone who might have be able to empathize with you, but you keep shoving him away. A little boy who has lost everything. His family. His home. Then he was enslaved and beaten by person who took it all away from him. But he didn't give up. He planned and he waited. Then finally one day he was free and a bright shining beacon of hope looked beyond his past of enslavement. He was offered a home and a family again, but he felt he didn't deserve them and he was afraid it would all come crashing down around him. That someone would come and cause his new family to cast him back out into the void."

Yamcha stared at Goku in confusion. "But it wasn't the boy's fault. He shouldn't be punished for it."

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'd never hold what happened to Gohan against him, even if he doesn't like me. I'm sorry if I somehow made it seem that I was."

The Saiyan looked sadly at his friend. "I wasn't talking about Gohan. The boy is only reacting to the unfairness of things. With his current situation, that reaction all tends towards anger. No. The one I was talking about was Vegeta."

Yamcha huffed in disbelief. "You can't seriously believe that he's good now and would help anyone. He's probably just waiting for the chance to take what he wants then destroy the planet as he leaves."

A stern gaze caused the scarred man to look away.

Goku gave a soft growl of frustration. "Listen. He knows what you've said about him. Gohan tells him everything. But he hasn't retaliated against you, no matter how much I know the urge is there, because you are Bulma's friend and he'd never do anything to hurt her. He's really trying to make amends for his past and right now that is making sure that his new home and family are protected. He wouldn't be trying to train you if he didn't think you'd be able to help. He's not the kind of guy to waste his efforts."

He rubbed the back of his head and looked up at the stars. "Yes, Bulma fell in love with him. You need to get past that. There are other girls out there and you know it. You've been with enough of them in the past and I know how much that hurt Bulma."

Yamcha gave a sheepish look. "Yeah, I know, but I wanted to make it up to her."

Goku tilted his head to the side. "So make it up to her by being her friend. She's happy now."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't tell you for certain that these androids won't kill any of us. I can say one thing, though. If I go down, I'm going to go down fighting. You're one of the very strongest humans on this planet. Show the world how strong you can be."

They stood in silence for a long while, Goku just being there if he was needed. Yamcha gave a sad smile to his friend and offered his hand. "Thanks for talking with me. I feel a bit better now."

Goku gave him a cheesy grin and gripped his arm in friendship. "Glad you're doing better. Krillin has been really worried about you. You should go talk to him. Then get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be some rough training."

Finally Yamcha gave a real laugh. "Vegeta is a slave driver when it comes to training. It's always rough."

He stared at the ground in contemplation. "I really don't know if I can forgive him, but I'll try. I don't know how you can be ok with him. He's taken Gohan from you and he tried to kill you a few weeks ago."

Goku gave him a lopsided grin. "Ah...yeah...about that fight. It was my fault. If he really wanted me dead, he had his chance at the end of that. We had a talk about Gohan and ourselves and came to an understanding. And we got a nice power boost from the Zenkai."

Yamcha looked at him skeptically, then sighed. "Which means I've fallen even further behind."

Goku laughed. "Hey, it's not a race to the finish! You'll improve. You're better than Chiaotzu. You just need to surpass Tien and Krillin to be the best human."

Shaking his head at his friend's antics, Yamcha walked towards the door. He paused for a moment. "What happened between you and Vegeta that made you his buddy?"

Goku gave him a sly grin before rushing past and into the house. "He called me brother."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Mid morning found the warriors flying out into the wastelands. Spires of rock and sand surrounded them as they landed.

Goku looked around at their training ground. "So what are we doing today?"

Vegeta eyed him and gave a malicious grin. "We're going to play tag."

Krillin gave a loud groan and flopped backwards onto the sand. "I hate this game. I'm always the target."

The Prince gave a snort before beginning to gather his chi in his hand. "You get a break today, Baldy. You can referee. Explain the rules to them."

An evil smirk crossed Krillin's face as he sat up and looked over at a confused Goku and Yamcha. "You're goal is to touch them on the nose. Their goal is to grab you."

As he watched Vegeta shoot the energy into the sky, he couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. "Good luck with that."

Goku stared in fascination as the Powerball grew in brightness, then turned to watch his son transform.

Yamcha stared in horror at the sight before him. He'd seen Goku change as a kid, but to watch two people purposefully do it sent a chill down his spine. He took several steps back in preparation to flee.

Vegeta's head snapped in his direction. "Where do you think you're going? You need to improve reflexes and speed. I'll be your opponent. Kakarot can go against his son. I don't trust the boy to not kill you."

The human warrior gulped and took another step back. Vegeta lunged forward to grab him. Yamcha moved a hair to late and found himself held tight in an ape fist. He struggled for a moment before going still.

Krillin's voice called though the air. "Point Vegeta. Come on Yamcha, you can move faster than that!"

The Prince released his victim and took a step back. "Prove your worth. Dodge me."

To his credit, Yamcha was only clipped by Vegeta's next swipe. As he went tumbling, the human righted himself and rushed to the side out of the way. He took a steadying breath as he watched for the Saiyan's next move. _'Ok. I'm still alive and he's in control of himself. I can do this.'_

He leapt towards Vegeta's face only to meet open air, then a fist had him again.

Krillin's voice echoed over the area again. "Point Gohan. Point Vegeta. Come on you guys! Team Oozaru can't win, they aren't as dexterous in that form!"

Yamcha muttered just loud enough for his friend to hear. "Easy for you to say. You're just sitting there."

A laugh answered him. "I've played this game. Why do you think Gohan's giving Goku such a hard time?"

Vegeta's red eyes narrowed as he released his hold on Yamcha. The human watched him nervously as the giant ape turned his head towards Krillin.

The bald man let out a yelp of surprise as the area around him exploded. Vegeta let out a rumbling laugh that shook the ground.

Krillin pulled his now battered self up out of the small crater and looked up towards the sky. "When did you get here and what was that for?"

Piccolo smirked down at him. "I was bored and you looked a little left out, so I thought you'd like to learn how to dodge."

Krillin yelped and rolled to the side when Piccolo vanished, narrowly avoiding the incoming attack.

Lips lifted over his teeth in a grin, Vegeta turned his attention back to Yamcha. "Time for some more little human."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Hours later, the battered group made their way back towards the Capsule Corp compound. Bulma was sitting outside cradling baby Trunks to her as they landed.

She eyed the tired group. "What happened to all of you?"

Goku let out a sigh as he flopped down in a chair near Bulma. "Training, then sparring. I don't think anyone is actually hurt."

He winced, then rubbed at his lower back. "Well, maybe I hit a mountain to hard. My back is killing me. It hurts all down the spine."

Bulma stiffened and looked at him with wide eyes. "Um. Did you already go talk to Mr Popo about the tail thing?"

Goku looked at her oddly. "Yeah. I stopped by there the next day. Both Kami and Mr Popo tried to talk me out of it. Kami finally relented when I told him I was going to be trained. Then Mr Popo did whatever it is that he had to do with his magic. It kind of felt weird. I was disappointed it didn't give me my tail back and thought it didn't work. Mr Popo said it did, but I'd have to wait for it to grow back on it's own."

Bulma stood up from her chair and looked around wildly at the sky.

Watching her, Vegeta shook his head. "Calm down, woman. There isn't a full moon right now."

Krillin's curiosity got the better of him. "What's going on?"

Bulma pointed her finger at Goku. "His tail is growing back. That's why his back hurts."

Goku grinned up at her in excitement. "Oh man. I've missed it so much. I never really felt whole without it."

Another groan escaped him, and he grimaced. "How long is it going to hurt? It was never like this when it grew back before."

Crossing his arms, Vegeta gave him a snort. "That's because you're an adult now. It's easier on children. Get cleaned up before you can't move."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Goku was absentmindedly stroking his tail as he sat on the couch, a happy smile plastered to his face. Gohan was sprawled between him and Vegeta. Krillin and Yamcha each had a chair. An old kung fu movie played on the TV.

Bulma paused to look at them on her way to the kitchen. "What are you boys doing here? I thought you'd be out training."

Krillin turned to look at her. "Oh, hey there. Well it's raining pretty hard outside and something went wrong with the computer in the gravity chamber. So we're taking a break right now from meditation training. Well, Piccolo kind of kicked us out of the garden dome and told us he needed his quiet."

Bulma frowned, then poked Vegeta in the shoulder. "You can't stay here today. I told you that mom invited some of the society ladies over for a baby shower."

She walked into the kitchen for a moment then returned with an object in her hand. Walking over to Krillin, she pressed a credit card into his hand. "Here, you're probably the most dependable with this. Take them out to someplace to eat. Stay away until at least five."

Krillin nodded at her and smiled. "Sure thing. I'm sure we can find something to do. Alright guys, let's go get some pizza or something."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The small group of warriors walked into the restaurant. Being familiar with the place, Krillin led them to a table in the back. Well aware of the curious eyes following them, he watched Vegeta and Gohan for their reactions.

Gohan looked around the building suspiciously. "Why are they all watching us?"

Goku ruffled the boy's hair, and laughed. "Don't worry about it. We always get stared at when we wear a gi into places."

Looking down at himself, Gohan fingered his blue gi. "But this is normal clothes."

Yamcha smiled at the boy as he sat in a chair. "It's normal for us because we are always training. Most people wear other types of clothes."

Gohan wrinkled his nose. "Like those shirts that are to tight that Grandma always tries to make me wear?"

Goku laughed and nudged Krillin. "Sometimes you got to wear a suit to make a good impression. Master Roshi taught us that when we were kids."

The bald man chuckled. "Yeah, he did. I think we kind of looked like gangsters dressed up like that, though."

As the fighters settled into their places, the conversation in the place resumed as they were forgotten.

A tall waiter sauntered up to their table. He looked oddly at their uniforms then smiled. "Looks like you all have been working up an appetite. What can I get for you?"

Krillin gave the guy a nod. "We'll have twenty of your house special pizzas, four beers, and a soda for the kid."

The waiter raised an eyebrow at the amount. "Are you sure you will be able to eat this?"

The bald man laughed before standing up. "Oh, it's probably not enough, but it will hold the bottomless pits for a while. Here, I'll come with you and pay for it all now. Never know what might happen with this group."

The group chatted quietly with each other while waiting for their food to arrive.

Krillin kept glancing over at Yamcha who was had just paid for his fourth drink. "Hey buddy, don't you think that's enough?"

Yamcha waved him off as he took a large swig. "I haven't had a beer since I quit the team to train more. With everything that's happened in the last few months, I think I deserve this just once."

Vegeta scowled at him. "You're dulling your reflexes. A warrior should always be ready for an attack."

The scarred man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be back on track tomorrow."

When the first of the pizzas were slid on the table the chaos began. The two humans sat at one end of the table sharing a pie and laughing at the scene before them. Growls and hurried movements followed as the three Saiyans fought each other for their share of the food.

Curious people turned to watch the spectacle in awe.

As the last of the food was brought out, Yamcha sat nursing his sixth drink and snickered. He nudged Krillin with an elbow. "Heys, look. Goku's forgottening his tables manners. Betcha he's gonna get it."

As if on cue, there was a thud then by a yelp. The Prince's gruff voice followed. "Kakarot, how many times have I told you not to eat like an animal?"

Goku sulked and rubbed his arm. "But I'm hungry."

Everything was forgotten as he dove back in to the meal.

Yamcha motioned the waiter over. "I need another drinks."

Krillin shook his head. "No. You've had enough."

The waiter plastered a smile on his face. "I'm afraid your friend is right, sir."

Slumping back in defeat, Yamcha sighed. "Fine."

After a few minutes, a goofy look crossed the fighter's face. He struggled to his feet and staggered over to stand behind Goku and Vegeta. Leaning in, Yamcha gave a small laugh. "Yous know, Vegeta, I never did thank you fer saving my life."

Giving a wide smile, the drunk man draped his arms around the Prince. "I love you man!"

Vegeta stiffened a the touch. "Get the hell off me you moron!"

A hard shove had Yamcha falling over into Goku's lap. Giggling, the man hugged the Saiyan around the waist. "I loves you, too, Goku!"

Laughter erupted from Krillin. After a few moments tears started running down his face.

With a shake of his head, Goku pulled Yamcha off of him and shoved him back into his own chair.

Yamcha watched the Saiyans finish eating with a vacant smile on his face.

Finally, Gohan sat back in his chair and patted his belly. "That was good."

Reaching over, Krillin scruffed his hair. "If you go ask at the front, they'll give you a sucker. They always have some for the kids."

The thought of another bit of food had Gohan rushing out of his chair.

Standing at the front counter, he blinked guilelessly up at the cashier. "May I have a sucker?"

The lady manning the register smiled warmly down at the boy in front of her and reached for the treat stack. "My aren't you a cute one. Of course you can have one, dear."

Gohan gave her a radiant grin as he took the candy. "Thank you."

A rough looking man sat with a few of his buddies and watched as the small boy stepped away from the counter. He snickered to his friends. "Watch me get that from the kid."

As Gohan passed by, the man reached out and grabbed the candy. Gohan held tight and turned to glare at the man. "That's mine. Let go or else."

The man gave a course laugh, then leaned down to put is face inches in front of the boy's. "Or else what you pip squeak? Going to go tattle on me like a baby?"

The movement was so fast that the man didn't even see it. He just felt the pain in his gut and his fingers limply slid from the wrapping of the candy. Falling to his knees he gasped for breath.

Gohan sneered at him. "Or that."

The man's friends broke out into a riotous laughter. "Oh man. You got your ass kicked by a kindergartner."

Face red with anger and embarrassment, the man staggered to his feet. He glared at the boy in front of him. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, brat!"

People at surrounding tables gasped as the man swung his fist at the small boy. Gohan lazily tilted his head out of reach, then swept the man's legs from under him.

The man yelled in outrage from the floor at his buddies. "Don't just sit there laughing, get that pest!"

One of his friends moved to punch Gohan but the fist was caught halfway there. With a jerk he was pulled away from the boy.

Goku released the man's fist and stared at him. "Why are you harassing my son?"

The man spit at him. "Your little brat started it."

Goku narrowed his eyes and pointed towards the man still recovering on the floor. "Your friend there started it and he's very lucky my son didn't actually hurt him."

Vegeta stepped up beside his fellow Saiyan and looked over the aggressors with derision. He flicked his tail at them in dismissal. "Kakarot, quit wasting your time with these scum."

The eyes of several patrons had widened at the sight of the tail. Memories of the prior year flashed through heads and several of the people took terrified steps back. Frightened whispers broke out as the tailed person with the tall hair was recognized. "He's one of those aliens!"

Krillin looked around nervously at the whispering. Pulling a wobbling Yamcha along behind him he shoved Goku towards the entrance. "I think it's time we leave."

Vegeta gave the crowd a scathing look and headed towards the door. People parted quickly out of his way.

Yamcha pulled away from Krillin's grip to stare at the two men who'd attacked Gohan. He drunk whispered to them. "You guys are lucky. Those Saiyans can be really deadly."

Wide eyes stared at, then past him. Yamcha turned and smiled. "Hey there Goku."

The tall Saiyan reached out and pulled his drunk friend over his shoulder, then followed the others out of the building. "I'm taking you home. You've had way to much."

As they stood outside, people inside pressed faces to the glass to watch them. Sirens could be heard off in the distance and getting closer. Krillin rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Um. I think we need to head back. We're going to need Bulma to help deal with this."

They took to the sky so fast, that to the watching people they seemed to vanish.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma smiled sweetly at the older ladies who were cooing over Trunks. She may have disliked some of the pretentious women that flowed in the upper circles, but the society ladies that her mother hung out with had always been very nice. If you judged people by how they treated their help, these ladies were saints.

The loud bang of the back kitchen door echoed through the house. Masculine voices were heard whispered to each other.

Bulma closed her eyes and hoped that the guys would quietly find someplace else to be.

Luck was not on her side as an oblivious Goku waltzed right into the room. He waved at the ladies.

A short grey haired woman poked him in the side. "Are you really little Goku? Oh my, you've gotten so big!"

The Saiyan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hi Mrs Cake."

He looked over at his sister and cringed. "Um, Bulma. There's a bit of an issue."

Bulma handed Trunks to her mother and stepped up in front of Goku. "You guys have only been gone a couple hours. What type of issue did you get into."

Goku glanced back out of the room and towards the kitchen but no help was materializing. He looked back at Bulma. "Well everything was fine when we ate. It actually was fine even after the bully attacked Gohan."

Bulma groaned and rubbed her forehead. "How bad did Gohan hurt him?"

Shaking his head, Goku cowered before her. "Gohan was good. That's not the problem. Um...some of the people recognized Vegeta."

Her stomach dropped into a knot and Bulma wrung her hands. She turned to her mother.

Mrs Briefs had a determined look on her face. "Everything will be fine. I'll get our lawyers working on it right away."

She turned to her friends. "I'm very sorry. It seems we had a family emergency come up and will have to cut the party short."

Mrs Cake spoke for the group. "Of course my dear. We've all had an issue or two with the men in our families. Is there anything we can do to help."

Gohan rushed into the room and up to his father. He skidded to a halt at the unexpected guests. Seeing an almost predatory look cross the older women's faces, he stepped back behind his father.

Several croons of "How adorable" echoed through the room.

Being the closest, Mrs Cake leaned over to inspect the boy. "Aren't you a cutie."

Goku pulled the child out to stand in front of him and smiled at the ladies. "This is my son, Gohan."

The boy turned and tugged at his father's gi. "Um, I just came in here to tell you that a bunch of army guys just landed in a helicopter outside."

Bulma groaned. "Of course they are quick to move when we don't want them to."

A loud bang on the door echoed through the hall.

Straightening herself, Bulma went to answer the door.

A smartly dressed soldier with several stars on his shoulder stood staring at her. He gave her a cursory glance. "Ma'am, we've been informed that you are harboring a deadly alien responsible for the deaths in East City and we must insist that you hand him over."

Bulma gritted her teeth. This guy was about to learn that she was no pushover. "I don't know where you get your information to make accusations. The person responsible for East City is dead."

The soldier took a menacing step towards her and reached out. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to arrest you for interfering then."

He was not expecting a dozen well dressed old ladies to swarm him, preventing his movement. Cradling her grandson to her, Mrs Briefs gave the man a look that would have melted steel. "How dare you come here and threaten my family. After all that my son has done to help everyone, I'd expect to see at least a little respect. I demand that he be allowed to speak with King Furry to settle this misunderstanding."

The soldier sneered at her. "I highly doubt that the King has any idea who your son is. I'm the general of this army and I really don't care what a bunch of old biddies want. Now get out of my way before I arrest all of you."

He moved to shove Mrs Briefs out of the way, but a large hand stopped him. Goku scowled at the soldier. "Leave my mother alone."

The general glared indignantly at the Saiyan. "I don't know who you think you are..."

A commanding voice interrupted his tirade. "He's Goku, the person who destroyed the Red Ribbon Army and killed Demon King Piccolo. You should treat him with the same respect I do."

The general's eyes went wide as he turned and bowed.

Goku looked over to the speaker and gave a wide grin and waved at the old dog standing there. "Hi King Furry! It's been a long time since I've talked to you."

The King nodded a greeting back, then spoke. "You're very lucky that I happened to be in there area. I'm afraid this is serious business, Goku. If the alien responsible for the deaths in East City is here, he must be dealt with."

Rubbing his upper arm, Goku frowned. "Well you see, it was Nappa that attacked everyone in East City and he's actually dead."

King Furry wore a grave look. "Who killed this Nappa and what happened to the other alien that landed."

Goku crossed his arms. "Well it was the other guy that killed Nappa. That was the only person he killed."

The Saiyan gave a sigh. "It's a long story. Why don't you come in and sit down and we can explain it."

Looking towards his assistant, the King thought for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I shall hear what you have to say."

With a nod of his head, Goku lead the King and his assistant inside Capsule Corp.

As the monarch passed by, the general reached out and grabbed his arm. "Sir, I'm afraid I can't let you go in there, it's to dangerous. It will just take the army a moment to take care of one man."

Goku gave a snort as he paused to wait.

King Furry gave the general an icy look. "You over step your authority. Remove your hands from me."

The general's grip tightened and pulled the King back. Two looming shadows quickly flanked the soldier and grabbed his arms. Startled he looked up into the faces of the King's personal guard.

Straightening his jacket, the King gave a nod to his men. "Place him into custody. I have no tolerance for insubordination."

Giving a friendly nod of recognition to the throng of older ladies as he passed though their ranks, the King entered the house.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

King Furry sat next to his advisor and sipped at the hot tea Mrs Briefs had brought him. He looked across at the two people before him who had tried to explain the circumstances of the alien attack.

Setting down his cup he leaned back. "So what you're saying is that it was more a lack of communication that lead to the deaths?"

Goku nodded his head. "Yeah. They were desperate to free themselves and kill the guy who destroyed their planet."

The old dog scratched at his chin. "I can understand those desires."

A snort from the doorway drew everyone's attention.

The King regarded the newcomer with fascinated eyes. There was no doubt who the being was.

Dressed in full armor, Vegeta strode into the room. He kept his eyes locked with the Kings. "Do not let Kakarot fool you. At that point in time I'd have happily destroyed this whole planet if it meant getting rid of Frieza's oppressive thumb. I didn't kill Nappa out of some kindness towards humans. He'd finally touched on my last nerve that tolerated him."

King Furry gave a confused look. "Who is Kakarot."

Vegeta waved his hand at the other Saiyan. "The one you call Goku. His birth name is Kakarot."

The Prince gave a glance towards a worried Bulma and frowned. Looking back at the King he swallowed down the pride that was warring with what he had decided to say. "However, that was in the past. I have learned certain things in the past year. I have many reasons now to protect this planet and it's people from destruction."

The King thought for a moment before speaking. "What proof of this do you have? How do I know you won't call more of your kind to this planet and enslave us?"

Vegeta gave a disparaging laugh. Reaching out, he grabbed Goku and pulled him to his side. "This is the only other living adult Saiyan that I know of. The two children are hardly a threat. We are the last of our kind."

King Furry stared at Goku with wide eyes. "You're one of these Saiyans?"

Goku gave a weak smile. "Yeah. I didn't know it until a few years ago, though."

Sitting up straight in his seat, the King took on a thoughtful expression. "Goku being a Saiyan changes the circumstances. He has done much for this planet, it's people, and for me. Since he vouches for you, I will give the benefit of the doubt."

He stared Vegeta in the eyes. "I do believe we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

An hour later, a smiling King Furry exited the house. The few local news crews that had been able to gather waited impatiently for him to speak. Their cameras ready and broadcasting to the world. Silence fell as he stepped out onto the lawn and motioned for the microphones to be brought closer.

His voice was triumphant when he spoke. "My people, I know that with today's rumors that many of you feared a repeat of what happened to East City. Let me put your fears to rest. The one responsible for those deaths is dead."

Cheers rang out from those gathered and he waited for it to quiet before speaking again. "However it is true that there are Saiyans here on Earth. They are remnants of a dying race and have sought to make Earth their home. After negotiations, I have come to an agreement with their Prince. They will be granted citizenship of Earth and sovereignty of their own small enclave. In exchange they have sworn to the crown to protect Earth from any threats with their dying breaths."

King Furry turned towards the house and beckoned the waiting figure out.

Vegeta strode forth regally, head held high and tail swaying behind him. He stopped next to King Furry and inclined his head.

The King turned back to the reporters. "This is Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans. Please afford him the respect that his rank and I demand."


	19. Loose Ends

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Sorry this chapter is shorter than what I planned. I'm getting an inkling of why some stories get abandoned. I don't want to and won't if I can help it. I fought so hard to get the words out for this chapter. The last part of the next chapter is done as well since I don't write in order. I have real life things on my mind. I've been waiting so long to do the end scene in the next chapter. The plans for the Androids/Cell saga have me laughing evilly.*_

 _*OMFG! DB Super episode 27 at the end had me screaming "It's about damn time you woke up!" If you really want to know you what has me excited can PM me. I won't put the spoiler here.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **"** **word** **"** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 19: Loose Ends**

The reporters had all asked King Furry their questions in the short time he allowed. Then they calmly watched as the King boarded his jetcopter and left. They patiently waited as the army departed to their other duties. Then all paparazzi eyes turned towards the Saiyan Prince and they pounced.

"Do you know you have a tail?"

"What are you feelings on the world government?"

"Do you have any plans on taking a Princess of the Saiyans? I'm sure there are plenty of eligible and willing ladies."

"Do you have trouble breathing the air on this planet?"

"Can you swing through the trees by your tail like a monkey?"

Eye twitching in irritation and anger, Vegeta rounded on the press. "I'm saying this one time only. Leave me the hell alone or I'll kill every single one of you. This property is under Saiyan control and I want all of you off of it. NOW!"

Raising one hand up he formed a ball of chi.

Cries of surprise and terror echoed from the crowd as they scrambled to get away from the Prince.

A dark look crossed Vegeta's face and his eyes narrowed. _'Hn. Vultures are vultures no matter where. It's the same as what Frieza had groveling under him.'_

A subdued group hurriedly packed up their equipment and vacated the premises.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Walking into the house, Vegeta found himself surrounded by the gaggle of older ladies. They gushed over him, giving him one to many friendly squeezes.

"Oh my aren't you a handsome one. Whomever snags you will be one lucky girl."

"Such hard muscles, you must be really dedicated to your work outs."

Vegeta looked around wildly. These were the elder Briefs woman's friends and hurting them would invoke her wrath. He really liked being fed and she was a good cook.

Seeing the desperation in his eyes, Mrs Briefs moved to reign in her peers. "Now, now girls. You're making my boy uncomfortable. Give him some breathing space."

The Prince edged away from the staring women, only to have a hand grasp his arm. His instinct was to pull free, but the voice that accompanied it calmed him even if her next action set him even more on edge.

"Here, hold Trunks for a bit while we finish talking." Pulling Vegeta's arm up, Bulma deposited baby Trunks in his embrace. The Saiyan froze, terrified any movement would hurt the baby.

Murmurs of awe reached his ears from the watching ladies. One gushed the words on her mind. "Oh he's so sweet to babysit for you. Such an honorable young man."

Vegeta had had enough and called after Bulma. "Woman, I demand you take the whelp back right now."

The blue haired woman rolled her eyes. "Just hold him. He's not going to hurt you."

The Saiyan gave a flustered look. "It's him I'm afraid of hurting."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a baby and spend some time with your son."

Those words brought shocked silence to the group and even more attention to Vegeta that he didn't want. Trunks scrunched up his face and his cry broke the silence. The Prince looked around in desperation for relief. His salvation came in the least expected form.

Goku slipped up to him and lifted Trunks out of his arms. Cuddling the baby close, he rocked the boy back and forth. "Aw, it's OK, Trunks. Your Daddy just doesn't know how to hold you yet. I was the same way when Gohan was born."

Looking around Goku recognized the look the ladies where giving him. Rubbing the back of his head with one hand, he stuttered nervously. "Um...W...we're just going to go have some guy time."

He grabbed Vegeta with his free hand and pulled him down the hall.

Seeing their prey escape the women turned their attentions to Bulma. She just smiled at them, knowing what was coming. "Well, now that you've met my husband, why don't we all sit down and chat."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The Ox King reclined back in his lounge chair and took a deep breath in relaxation. Reaching out he grabbed the evening newspaper from where it had been placed on the end table next to him. Humming to himself he unfolded it to the front page. His eyes widened and he went silent at the headline. He glanced nervously to the table on the other side of the room where his daughter sat chatting with one of her friends as they sipped tea. He carefully folded the paper so she couldn't see the writing.

Chi-Chi stood up and retrieved the TV remote before returning to her seat. "It's too quiet in here. Let's see what we can find for some background noise."

As she flipped on the large television, the news blasted loud to the three occupants of the room.

* "And after an intense hour of waiting, King Furry emerged to declare the Saiyans defenders of Earth and welcomed as citizens of our planet. We'll have more news about the small Saiyan community and their Prince when it comes in." . . . "In other news..." *

The black haired woman let out a screech and threw her tea cup forcefully at the wall. It shattered on impact and a tinkling rain of porcelain fragments dropped to the ground. She let out another shout and the saucer followed it's set mate against the wall. She reached to grab the sugar bowl, but was stopped by a timid hand.

Her friend looked up at her with frightened eyes. "What's wrong, Chi-Chi?"

Said woman let go of the bowl and tightened her hands into fists. Then she pointed angrily towards the television. "That, that stupid King of ours! He doesn't know what he just did! He accepted those stupid alien monkey monsters staying here! Then to top it off he gave that monster that stole my baby actual royal authority! How dare he!"

A voice whispered from a chair on the other side of the room. "But I like Goku. He was always so nice and he helped out when he was a kid."

Chi-Chi snapped her head to the speaker and glared. "Are you siding with those monkeys, Daddy?"

Her father cowered in his chair and shook his head.

The woman began to pace as she ranted. "As for Goku, he's the worst of them. Pretending to be human just to use me! Then he had the nerve to refuse to bring my baby back to me! I'll show them. I'll go make King Furry get my baby back for me!"

Chi-Chi turned and stormed out of the room, shrieking at servant waiting outside. "Jeeves! Get the hoverjet! I need to go have an audience with our King!"

The butler bowed and rushed off to ready the transportation.

After Chi-Chi was well gone, the Ox King looked over at the lady still sitting at the small table. "Is it just me, or has she been even more moody lately?"

The woman nodded her head. "Yes. It's only been recently, though."

Ox King scratched his chin in thought.

A shout echoed down the hall. "Hurry up, Daddy! You're going, too!"

The man scrambled out of the room in a rush.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

It was mid evening and King Furry had just settled behind his desk to write up notes on the day's memorable events. There was a sharp knock at his door. He called out without looking up. "Come."

His personal steward stepped into the room and bowed. "Are you busy, sir?"

The King gave the man a smile. "I was just going to write down on paper my thoughts on today's happenings. Then I was going to retire for the evening. What is it that you need?"

The steward shifted nervously. "You have visitors demanding to be seen. One of the small municipal kings and his daughter. They claim it is an urgent matter involving the Saiyan Prince that you acknowledged today."

The King gave a great sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose before leaning back in his chair. "I was hoping no problems would pop up from that until tomorrow at least. I guess it cannot be helped. Send them in."

The steward bowed once again before leaving. "Very well sir."

A few minutes later the steward was back. He ushered in the two guests and shut the door. Furry recognized the Ox King and gestured at the chairs in front of his desk. "Greetings. What brings you before me this evening?"

The two bowed, then Ox King quietly took a seat and nervously watched his daughter.

Chi-Chi wasted no time on getting to her point. "I want you to get rid of that monkey Prince!"

King Furry looked at her puzzled. "I'm sorry. What are you talking about?"

She huffed in anger. "That Saiyan. He's no good. Throw him off the planet or kill him. Just get rid of him."

The King's face was calm as he answered. "I cannot do that. We've seen the type of power his kind possess and I was offered a golden opportunity for the good of our planet. I don't know what personal grudge you hold against Prince Vegeta, but I must ask you to forget it."

Chi-Chi gave the ruler a nasty look. "That alien monster kidnapped my baby from me! I demand that you get my child back! They are ruining my perfect little human scholar! I had everything he was ever going to do all mapped out!"

She wrung her hands together in frustration. "Oh it's been so horrible! The last time I saw my little boy he turned into some sort of delinquent monster and attacked me! I just know this is all that nasty Vegeta's fault! His father is just as bad! Can you believe the nerve of that man?! He refused to bring my baby back to me!"

The old dog looked thoughtfully at the ranting woman. "I'm sure that we can settle this. Such a hefty accusation can't be ignored. The only governing rights I granted Prince Vegeta were over other Saiyans and those who willing place themselves under his jurisdiction."

An evil glint shone in Chi-Chi's eyes. "Good. Gohan need's raised as an obedient little human boy. He doesn't need tainted anymore by his father's nasty blood."

King Furry stiffened, his mind registering warnings that something wasn't right with her words. He looked over to where the Ox King sat submissively in a chair. He waved his hand to get the other male's attention. "So, Ox, what is you're take on this?"

The large man shot a furtive glance towards his daughter and swallowed hard. _'I'm going to pay for this later, but I have to do something to protect my grandson.'_ He closed his eyes for a moment in thought before looking back at the King. "Gohan should stay with his father."

Chi-Chi snarled in rage and rounded on her dad. "HOW DARE YOU!"

"Stop!" King Furry's voice was commanding as he watched the berserk woman. He addressed both of the people before him. "First I was told that the Prince kidnapped the boy. Now I'm told that the boy is with his father. So which is it? And who is the boy's father."

The Ox King's eyes kept darting to his daughter when he spoke. "Goku is his father. He's there with the Prince."

The King narrowed his gaze at the woman in front of him. "You said the boy is human. I know Goku. I actually talked with him some today. He is not human. If the boy is his, the boy is a Saiyan. I will not attempt to remove one of the last of his race from the Prince's care. There must have been grave circumstances for him to have taken the boy."

Chi-Chi's face flushed crimson with anger and she slammed her hands down on the King's desk. "No! I will get rid of that nasty monkey blood! My boy will be human! I demand you get him for me!"

King Furry stiffened in his chair. "You over step your bounds, Ma'am. You dare presume to order your King? Guards!"

The door slammed open and two of the King's burly guards rushed inside, looking for the danger. The old dog waved towards the irate woman. "Remove her from my compound. If she returns, arrest her then inform me."

The guards each grabbed one of Chi-Chi's arms and carried the struggling and screaming woman from the room.

As he stood from his chair to follow, the Ox King paused to bow to his ruler. "I'm very sorry, sir. She's changed these last few years. I don't recognize her as the daughter I raised anymore. As for Gohan. She did something horrible to that boy, I'm not sure what, but the last time I saw him he was terrified of her. I'm afraid of what else she might do to him."

He bowed again to the world King and moved to door. He paused for a second. "If what I fear has happened, I may be calling upon you to remove another child from her care in the future."

He inclined his head then followed after the echoing sounds of his daughters shouts.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

 _He was alone and it was cold. Just cold and dark empty space. Then a figure materialized with her back to him. 'You're such a disappointment. Just a beast like your father.' With a sudden turn, she was facing him and he stared up into his mother's angry eyes. 'I'll kill them all for keeping you from me. I'll make them all suffer.'_

A scream ripped through the air, followed by an explosive burst of power. The walls of the house shook from the force. Startled awake by the massive burst of chi and noise the adult Saiyan residents of the house rushed towards the source.

Goku reached the room first and grunted in surprise at the resistance he met in opening the door. Giving it a shove, it slammed open into the wall. Waves of power washed over the Saiyan as he stood in the doorway and looked at his son's room in awe. The destruction ringed around the room. The walls were cracked and plaster had fallen from the ceiling. The epicenter of the devastation was obvious. Gohan sat upright in the bed, screaming, eyes white and unseeing. Golden hair waved softly in the chi emanating from him.

Mindless of any additional damage he might cause, Goku ascended to Super Saiyan as well before approaching his son. Reaching out he grabbed the boy's arm and spoke in a soothing voice. "Gohan. Wake up. Everything will be alright."

The swift punch Gohan reacted with was half expected as Goku brought up his arm to block. The older Saiyan frowned and grabbed both of the boy's hands. "Hey. Calm down. It's ok."

Gohan began to thrash back and forth to pull free. His foot connected with his father's head sending Goku backwards a few feet.

As he scrambled back up, an ascended Vegeta put a restraining hand on his shoulder from behind. "He's still caught in the nightmare."

The Prince moved up beside the boy and sat on the bed. He ran a comforting hand down the child's back and tail. **"** Gohan. **Wake up. You're safe now. I'm here.** "

The screaming stopped and Gohan turned his unseeing eyes in the direction of the voice.

Vegeta continued to stoke the boy. **" Wake up. Nothing shall harm you."**

Color came back into the child's eyes and he blinked rapidly. Frightened teal eyes looked up at Vegeta in confusion for a moment, then Gohan threw himself into the Saiyan's embrace.

A frown marred Goku's features, followed by a look of pain. He moved to step back but Vegeta reached out and grabbed him by the wrist and directed him to sit on the bed.

Vegeta looked away to stare into space. "I've never been on good terms with his mother. Subconsciously he knows if I'm here, that she isn't. Next time don't grab him. Just stroke his back and tail."

The boy turned his head to look at his father, then reached out an arm to hug him. Goku returned the embrace with tear filled eyes.

The Prince gave the other Saiyan an unreadable look, then spoke. "Look at you, Kakarot. You're just as broken as we are in your own way. You just hide it behind that stupid smile and your naivety."

Goku gave him a half hearted shrug. "I just don't want to lose my son. He's all I have."

Vegeta gave a grunt of disbelief. "I already told you I'm not taking him from you."

He waved his hand in an encompassing circle. "He's not all you have. You have everyone here as well."

Goku shook his head and hugged his son closer. "No. I don't know what I did to make them mad but they didn't want to see me after I got married. I missed them so much, but Chi-Chi explained how they called and said they didn't want to see me again."

Vegeta almost exploded with anger. Reaching out he grabbed the front of Goku's shirt and shook him hard. "Do you know how many times I have heard your human mother crying because she believed you didn't want them around your son? That witch you married lied to you."

Rage brewed in the Prince as he released the other Saiyan. "What else did she do to you? What other lies did she tell you?"

Gohan uncurled and sat up. "Mom made him farm radishes. She was always saying he was to stupid to do anything else to make money."

Goku turned away and hung his head. "We had plenty of money from the tournaments I fought in. She didn't want me to train for the next one. She said it would encourage Gohan to be a delinquent like me."

A feral growl sounded from Vegeta. "I'm going to kill that woman when I see her next. Her crimes against the Saiyans will be punished."

He grabbed Goku by the shoulder and squeezed. "I am your Prince. You belong to me. We three here are the only full blooded Saiyans left right now."

Gohan tilted his head. "I'm only half Saiyan."

Vegeta regarded the boy. **" Remember what that ship computer said. You noticed it yourself that the boy from the future was full Saiyan. Apparently ascending is the trigger for the change. The future boy warned that you were too young and he was right. It almost killed you."**

Gohan frowned. **" So only those halfbreeds who want to be stronger could become full Saiyan? I want to be stronger, but that day it was different. I was just so scared. I was sure she was going to kill Grandma, Bulma, and the baby. I had to protect them."**

 **" Yes, they have to be stronger."** Goku's words startled the other two. **" But the power comes in response to need, not want. Only those with the desire to protect could continue the race on."**

Vegeta stared dumbfounded at the other Saiyan. **"** Kakarot **, You terrify me when you say something intelligent."** He paused for a moment. **" Now answer me, how are you speaking Saiyago?"**

Goku looked confused. **" I am? You were just talking and I was just talking."**

The Prince pinched the bridge of his nose. "And now you sound like an idiot again. My guess is that when you fell and scrambled your brains it didn't take your language from you."

Staring at his father with wide eyes, Gohan let out a cheer. "This is great! Now you can talk secretly with Uncle and me as well. Only Grandma understands us."

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Vegeta listened to the two banter inanely for a few minutes. Scooting back on the bed, he leaned against the broken headboard. "Both of you shut up and get some rest. We're going to need it tomorrow."

Moving to sit next to Vegeta, Goku pulled Gohan up to lay protected between them. They sat in silence for a long while. Steady breaths and heartbeats the only sound to fill the air. The energy in the room eased when Gohan dropped out of his ascended state as he drifted towards sleep. The two adults soon followed with no need to maintain it longer.

When dawn broke and began to lighten the sky, Vegeta looked around the ruined room. "This was far to close of a call. The boy could have hurt the humans or Trunks. Apparently the Namek's training just isn't enough right yet."

Goku nodded his head in understanding. "Yeah. I'm really glad no one came into the room."

The Prince snorted. "They wouldn't. Everyone learned after the first time he had a nightmare. It's just more of a danger now that he can ascend."

A half asleep voice spoke up from between the two. "I don't want to hurt anyone here. I'm sorry for being so much trouble."

Vegeta gave the boy a squeeze, then pushed him fully into Goku's lap. Getting up he turned to look at both of them. "Get dressed. Pack some spare clothes in a capsule. We'll have to go train out in the wilderness until Gohan has control."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma woke to the sound of Vegeta slipping back into their bed. She gave a groan as he pulled her into an embrace. "You're leaving aren't you?"

He gave a grunt. "It's too dangerous for Gohan to be here right now. A few months out training and he will hopefully have it under control. We'll come check in regularly."

She shifted around in his arms to look at him. "You can't take him away from Goku again. I don't know if he could survive."

He nuzzled into her neck. "I'm taking Kakarot with me. He needs trained as well."

Bulma relaxed and ran her hand through his thick hair. "Nothing is ever simple with you Saiyans is it?"

Another grunt was her answer and she smiled. "I'm going to miss you. I just wish you would show more affection when others are around."

Vegeta lifted his head to rest their foreheads together. "This is for family only. I can not show weakness in front of potential enemies."

With a sigh he pulled himself away from her and off the bed.

Bulma watched him dress and stash clothes into a capsule. Heaving herself off the bed, she wrapped him in a quick embrace from behind before donning a robe. "Hold on before you go. Dad's been working on a dedicated gravity room capsule. I believe he finished it last week. You can take it with you."

It was a somber group that gathered in the kitchen that morning. Mrs Briefs had insisted that the Saiyans eat an extra large breakfast.

Bulma held back her tears as Vegeta and Goku gave each other a look, then rose together. Gohan scrambled up after them.

The Saiyan Prince looked over everyone at the table. His gaze stopped at the two human fighters. "Just because I will be gone doesn't mean you can slack off. I WILL be checking up on your progress. I don't plan on dying to spare toaster parts. That means everyone fighting them will be giving it their all. We will be back after the boy is in control of his power."

The three Saiyans made their way outside, the humans followed behind to see them off.

Piccolo stood off to one side, leaning against the wall of the house. He pushed off the wall and walked over to stand in front of Vegeta. "I'm going with you. I need someone strong enough to train against."

He eyed Gohan. "I think some of you also need more of my training"

Vegeta gave him a nod. "Very well."

The Namekian took to the air, followed by Goku and Gohan.

Bulma latched onto Vegeta's arm and gave it a hug. She whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "You be careful. Take care of the others as well. I expect all of you to come back to me soon."

She released him and stepped back. Vegeta gave her a smirk before blasting off after the others.


	20. Divine Intervention

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Very sorry about the lateness. Writers block from hell. And the few times I actually had a bit of inspiration and started writing, my mother called, (and talked for 2+ hours) knocking me right out of the ability to write.*_

 _*Since a few people have mentioned it now, to and too are the bane of my existence. I know I have an issue with them (and a few other grammar things). I don't mind having stuff pointed out since I miss a lot when I edit the chapter. I try and go back and fix stuff when I can later. As for my use of (Chinese) Chi instead of (Japanese) Ki, it was a choice based on my use of the Viz graphic novels for reference. They use Chi.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 20: Divine Intervention**

The Saiyans and Namekian came to a landing a short flight from their usual desert training grounds.

Vegeta gave the area an appraising look before selecting a spot. Walking over, he pulled out the small case of capsules that Bulma had given him. Checking the label guide, he selected the appropriate capsule and pressed the button before tossing it to the ground. A very small capsule house appeared in a puff of smoke. Opening the door he stepped inside.

It was very basic, just a single large bed, a dresser, and a small bathroom off the side.

Goku gave a grunt of surprise from behind him. "This is pretty primitive. Bulma always had nicer houses when we went on dragon ball hunts. And there's only one bed."

The Prince waved his hand dismissing the issue. "It's large enough so it won't matter. Any group of Saiyans that lived together general slept in communal beds, unlike humans and their individual beds. This will suffice. We'll be out training most of the time anyway."

With that said, he set the capsule case on the dresser and turned to see the other two Saiyans still standing in the doorway. Shaking his head, Vegeta walked over to them. "Put your extra stuff away so it doesn't get damaged."

He looked over Gohan's attire, glad the boy was still had the habit of wearing the super stretchy material of the PTO suits for training. Looking over at Goku he shook his head again. The gi would never survive. "Kakarot. Strip."

Goku looked at him in confusion. "What?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Strip. Remove your clothes. Get naked."

The taller Saiyan blushed and looked indignant. "Hey, I'm not like that! I like girls!"

With an amused snort, the Prince turned his back and moved to the door. "Just do it. We're going to start training your Oozaru today. Mine and the boy's clothing stretches, yours doesn't. If I would have thought about it earlier, I'd have searched through the stores from Frieza's ship. For now you'll just have to deal."

Goku gave a sigh before removing his clothing and following the others back outside.

Piccolo raised an eyebrow at the nude Saiyan. "New fashion?"

"His clothes won't work for today's training," Vegeta said with a grunt.

The Namekian's lip curled in distaste before he pointed two fingers at Goku and shot a beam of energy at him. Soon the Saiyan was clothed in loose pants. "Even if you Saiyans have no modesty, I don't care to see that all day."

"Whatever." Vegeta grunted before taking flight and leading the group away into the wasteland for training.

When they had all landed, he gave Goku an evil smirk. "I'm going to enjoy today's lesson."

He turned first to the boy. "Gohan you get to help hold your father down."

Then he turned to the Namekian. "You, Piccolo, find a rock or something to bash Kakarot's face with. It might take a little force for him to gain control of himself."

Vegeta began to form a ball of chi in his hand. "Let's do this."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma staggered into the kitchen, her body on auto pilot. Stretching in a yawn, she flipped on the coffee maker. She let out a sad sigh. _'Urgh! It's been three months, those monkeys should have checked in by now. Don't they know we miss them?'_

When the gurgling of the machine stopped, she poured herself a cup and stirred in some cream. As it was her normal routine during warmer months to sit outside for her first cup, she made her way to the outside kitchen door. Stepping outside, the bright light temporarily blinded her and she shaded her eyes.

She stood for half a moment staring into baleful red eyes and a giant muzzle full of sharp teeth. Then she dropped her cup and let out an ear piercing scream.

Oozaru Goku jerked himself up and back from where he'd been laying on his stomach in front of the door. He clapped his hands over his ears in pain.

"Told you she'd scream." Came from where Gohan sat staring up at the sky.

Vegeta gave a grunt and moved his large ape body to stand in front of the hysterical woman. Reaching down he picked her up and brought her carefully to his face. "Calm down, woman. No one here will hurt you."

Bulma looked around wildly at the three Oozaru on the lawn. "B-but Goku always went wild when he transformed!"

The Prince snorted, blowing her hair back from her face. Bulma automatically slapped him on the nose without thinking. "Don't do that!" Then a horrified look came over her face. "Oh no! I'm sorry!"

Vegeta shook his head. "Like you could hurt me."

He looked up at the full moon in the sky. "We were coming to check in for a few days before the next phase of our training. It seems someone decided the moon being brought back today and at full was a good idea. We barely made it here before we started transforming."

Bulma gently rubbed the spot she'd recently hit. "So you're stuck like this until the moon sets, right?"

She got a nod as an answer. Giving her Prince a smile, she patted one of his giant fingers. "Ok, put me down. I need to make sure Mom knows not to bring Trunks anywhere he can see it."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The early morning sun peaked over the horizon sending a beam of light into the small capsule shelter.

A figure stirred in the tangled mess of limbs and tails that covered the only bed. Opening his eyes the Saiyan Prince sat up, pushing a still slumbering Goku off his chest. With practiced ease he lifted himself up and over Gohan who was curled into his side. Feet finally hitting the floor, he stood up and stretched. Looking over at his 'subjects' he gave a humorless snort. _'Some Prince I am. All I have is Kakarot and two children. And I guess a few humans. Maybe there might be a need for royalty in a few generations, but not now. How pathetic that our race didn't reach it's potential until there were less than a handful of us left. I'm the Prince. I was supposed to be the strongest ever and now I struggle to stay even with one born a third class warrior.'_

He looked fondly at the child still dozing on the bed. _'The boy is a prodigy with that hidden power he shows every now and then. He very well may surpass both his father and me one day soon.'_

Tail swaying lazily behind him, Vegeta moved to the foot of the bed. "Get up if you want food before we begin training!"

A groan answered him from one side of the bed as Gohan sat up. "Can we go back to Capsule Corp yet? I miss Grandma's cooking. It's the best."

Goku stretched out across the mattress. "Yeah. It's been eight months. I think we're pretty much as in control of ourselves now as we can get."

The Prince eyed the two of them. "We will see."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The large man stepped up to the door of the Capsule Corp living quarters and knocked. Apprehensively, he scratched at his head under his great horned helmet. When Bulma opened the door, he gave her a sheepish smile.

She narrowed her eyes, looking past him for trouble. "Hello, Ox King."

He fidgeted nervously. "Chi-Chi isn't here, but she's why I've come."

Bulma crossed her arms. "She can't have Gohan and Goku isn't going back."

The big man held up his hands defensively. "No. No. I'm not here for her. It's just... um... there is the baby she just had."

He looked down at her with sad eyes. "The Chi-Chi that we've seen the last few years isn't the Chi-Chi that I raised. I don't know what's wrong with her. I do know that when he got back, Goku came to see her. After he left, she was in a rage for days about how he wouldn't obey her. I'm not sure what all went on between them that day, but, it was about nine months ago."

The Ox King's gaze turned pensive. "I was there when the baby was born today. It had a tail, long and brown just like Goku's was. Chi-Chi didn't see but I'm sure she knows who the father is anyway. I had the midwife swear not to let her have the baby while I was gone. Then I rushed here."

He looked at her in desperation. "Please. You have to tell Goku immediately. He's got to come get the baby. I'm afraid of what she will do to it."

Alarm flashed across Bulma's face and she spun on her heel. She raced through the house yelling. "Krillin! Yamcha! I need one of you two here now! Krillin!"

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Krillin sped through the air, pushing his body as fast as he could in the direction he felt four enormous chi's. Mountains and grasslands passed in a blur. Desert soon filled his vision.

He jerked himself to a sudden stop in front of his old friend. Breathless, he spat out his message. "Goku! You have to go now. The Ox King showed up at Capsule Corp and said Chi-Chi had a Saiyan baby. He wants you to come take it before she can try anything."

The Saiyan stared at him in shock. "Wow. Another baby."

Gohan's growl of anger behind him brought him swiftly back to reality. "I won't let her hurt anyone else!"

Goku moved next to the boy. "I know, son. I'll go get your new brother."

Gohan looked up at his father, then glanced towards Vegeta. "I'm coming too. I'm not scared of her anymore."

The Prince gave him a small smile and nodded. "Good. It's time you faced your fears."

Goku gave a smile of agreement and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Alright then. Let's go do this."

Putting two fingers to his head, they vanished.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Chi-Chi stared suspiciously at the nurses fussing and cleaning her. "Where's my baby?"

The head nurse jumped nervously and backed away from the woman. "There were some complications. We have to run some tests to make sure he'll be alright first."

Sitting up on the bed, Chi-Chi glared at the lady then threw her pillow in that direction. "I don't care! Bring me my baby!"

The frightened nurse took several more steps back and motioned her helpers to the door. "I'm sorry. I can't bring him yet. If you'll just wait."

Chi-Chi let out a scream and looked around for another object to throw. The nurse hurried out the door, leaving the black haired woman to fume on the bed until exhaustion caught up and sleep claimed her.

She was woke from her sleep a few hours later by a knock. Her personal maid opened the door and slipped inside. Chi-Chi gave her a half smile, this maid was always loyal to her.

The maid looked at her with wide eyes. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to wake you but I thought you'd want to know. Mr Goku just showed up and he has your son with him."

The black haired woman sat up with a groan and slid out of the bed. "That bastard better be crawling on his knees for me!"

She turned to her maid. "Fetch me some clothes. Then we should get some refreshments for our 'guests'."

Chi-Chi carefully pulled up the cord around her neck revealing a small blue bottle. She gave a malevolent smile and untied the knot. _'That witch I bought this from better have done it right. I was only going to use it on the baby, but now that fate has handed me this perfect chance I'll get my Gohan back for good.'_

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The Ox King was holding the new baby while in quiet discussion with Goku and Gohan when Chi-Chi walked in. She scowled at them in disgust before schooling her features into a pleasant smile. "Oh, it's so good of you both to come and see my new baby."

Gohan stiffened at her voice, his energy level spiking in anger. Goku eyed him warily before looking at the woman he married. "Yeah, we came as soon as we heard."

Chi-Chi quickly shot a nasty look at her father before resuming her cheerful facade. She gestured to the maid following her with a tray of drinks. "I had some refreshments made up. I know it must have been a long journey."

The maid set the tray down on the table and carefully selected a glass and before taking it to Gohan. The boy eyed it cautiously and sniffed it. It didn't smell bad so he took a sip of the sweet juice.

Chi-Chi watched for a moment with a smile, then turned towards Goku. "Well as you can see, I had another boy. I'm sure this one will grow up to be a doctor."

Gohan had downed half the glass while listening to the adults. He blinked, then blinked again. His vision seemed to be blurring. Reaching up to rub his eyes, he felt his hands begin to shake. Dropping the glass he felt the terror rising up in him as his energy began to fall. His voice was barely a cracked whisper before he fell to the ground foaming at the mouth. "Daddy."

Goku looked at his son in panic. "What happened?"

Chi-Chi couldn't keep the wicked grin from her face. "I just gave him something in his drink to make him a good little boy."

Quivering in rage, Goku scooped up his spasming child.

"How _dare_ you!" He ground out the words between clenched teeth. "How could you poison a child, much less one you birthed?"

Chi-Chi crossed her arms and gave out a snort. "I'm just making him better. The potion was just to purify his blood, remove all traces that aren't human."

" **I'M** not human. Of course my son wouldn't be. And now he's dying! LOOK AT HIM! I didn't want to believe it. I didn't think it could be true, but everyone was right about you. You're a monster." With that Goku put two fingers to his forehead and vanished.

He reappeared from teleportation in front of a surprised Yamcha. "Where's Bulma? I need her now. Gohan's dying!"

Taking in the sight of the convulsing boy, Yamcha turned and led the distraught father through the warren that was Capsule Corp at a run. Skidding to a stop in front of a lab door, he slammed it open.

Bulma jumped and turned around at the loud bang. "What have I told you about..."

She trailed off at the site of Goku, holding his twitching boy. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god! What happened to Gohan?!"

Goku held out his arms, thrusting the child towards her. "Please help him. Chi-Chi, she...she poisoned him with some magic potion or something. You were right. You were all right. She's evil. She said it would get rid of all but his human blood."

Tears were starting to fall from the tall Saiyans eyes. "But he's not human!"

Bulma grabbed Gohan out of Goku's arms. She looked at him in panic. "I could go put him into the regeneration tank. Maybe it will help..."

She trailed off in her own thoughts for a moment. Her eyebrows scrunched, then raised. "I'm not sure what to do about magic, but I bet that Uranai Baba could do something."

Hope flickered in the Saiyans eyes. "You're right. Master Roshi should know where his sister is."

With grim determination he put two fingers to his forehead and concentrated, then vanished.

Bulma hugged the Saiyan boy to herself tightly before rushing out of the lab. "Hold on there, Gohan."

The blue haired woman rushed through the halls with Yamcha close on her heels. He looked worriedly at the boy she carried. "Is there anything I can do?"

Bulma shook her head. "No. I'm not sure that even I can do anything, but I have to try."

As they came up to the med room door, Yamcha reached past her and swung it open. "It's a good thing you and your dad got the tank moved and running last month."

Nodding in agreement, Bulma placed Gohan inside the tank. With shaking hands she fumbled to place the sensors on the child. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then slipped the mask over Gohan's face. Closing the door she pressed buttons on the controls to activate the machine.

The gentle hum of electronics coming to life was reassuring for only a moment. A loud beeping emanated from the machine, followed by a robotic voice. "No physical damage detected...Unknown bio-contaminant detected...Removal beyond system parameters...Medical officer input needed...Input..."

Bulma screamed in frustration and slapped the side of the tank. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she fell to her knees in anguish. "It's not fair. He's been through so much!"

After several moments she was able to compose herself some. Tears still flowing, she turned towards Yamcha. "Can you go get my parents please? I'm sure they'd like to see him...you know, just in case."

Throat to tight to speak, the scar faced warrior nodded and left to find the elder Briefs.

Bulma wiped her eyes on her sleeve then yanked open the healing tank door. Carefully she removed the wires and masks from Gohan, then gently lifted him out and cradled him to her.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

On a small planet with a dark green sky, two beings stood in conversation. Hurried footsteps and a wailing chime drew their attention to a newcomer.

Raditz skidded to a stop in front of the Kai and his assistant. "Hey Master Shin, I was cleaning like you asked and this crystal ball started making this odd sound."

Kaioshin took the crystal from the Saiyan with a frown.

Kibito looked at it questioningly. "What is this one for?"

Shin squinted as he activated the orb. "It's the danger alarm I put on the Saiyan boy, Gohan."

The three watched in horror as the crystal played back the cause for it's trigger.

Shin dropped the ball to the grass and hurried inside the building. "Come you two. I have to grab something then we must go there now!"

 **o-o-o-o-o**

"Please Chi-Chi, give me back the baby," the Ox King pleaded with his daughter. His eyes never left the squalling infant in her arms.

The black haired woman bristled and gave him a glare. "Back off Daddy. This is my boy and I'm going to make sure I fix him right from the start."

She pulled the small blue bottle out of her pocket and flipped off the cap. She brought it towards the baby's open mouth.

"No!" The Ox King leapt forward as fast as his large body could manage. His face contorted in the effort as he knew he'd still be to late.

Then time seemed to freeze as a commanding voice filled the room. "Stop!"

Chi-Chi's hand stopped it's trek towards the baby's mouth. The Ox King found himself rooted to his spot. Only their eyes were able to move. Looking out of the corners of their eyes, they strained to see the one who spoke.

Three similarly dressed strangers stood on the opposite side of the room from the door as if they had just appeared.

Kaioshin stood in front of the other two with his hands outstretched. He stared at Chi-Chi with a fierce gracing his features. He tossed his head to the side, flicking his white mohawk out of his face. He glanced back at his companions. "Raditz, retrieve the babe for me."

The long haired male behind him moved forward to obey. "Sure thing, Master Shin."

Both humans could only watch as the tall male stepped up in front of the woman and lifted the baby out of her grasp. Light glinted sharply off the halo floating above his head.

The Ox King's eyes widened in fear for his newest grandson. He struggled futilely against the magic holding him.

Raditz spoke softly as he rocked the child in his arms. "Hey there nephew. You look just like your daddy."

Chi-Chi screamed in wordless rage and fought the magical hold at those words.

Relief flooded through the Ox King, and as he relaxed, the magic released it's bond. He slid bonelessly to the floor. Tears filled his eyes as he looked up at the tall Saiyan. "Thank you...thank you. I just knew I would be to late."

Giving the man a nod, Raditz carried the child to his master for inspection. The Kai gave the child a short inspection before turning his attention back to the humans. He stepped fully into Chi-Chi's line of sight. "I am severely disappointed in you. Twice you have been given the great honor of bringing forth Saiyan children into this universe. With both children, you have now tried to destroy what makes them unique."

He released his magical hold on the woman to allow her to voice aloud her opinion. She fell to her knees at the sudden loss of force holding her up.

Scowling she stood upright and faced the male. "They are my children, you monster! I will do with them as I please. I've merely attempted to right a wrong and rid this world of that Saiyan taint!"

The red skinned assistant stepped up in front of his boss. "How dare you address any Kai in such a manner, mortal!"

The leader of the group called back his subordinate. "That's enough Kibito."

The red male stepped back into his place. "Of course, Master Kaioshin."

Shin returned his watchful eyes to the woman, examining her for a moment. "There is much wrong with your mind, and you have exasperated the problem with your self medicating. Perhaps with enough time, the healers here on Earth could have returned you to some semblance of normal, but you are to proud to admit you could possibly be wrong."

He looked back at the dead Saiyan holding the child and nodded to himself before addressing the woman again. "I cannot afford anymore risk to the last remnants of my creation. I will not absolve you for the crimes you have committed on your first child. For that you must answer before your soul is cleansed and reborn. The life of your soul is now forfeit."

Shin raised his hands again, and the black haired woman crumpled to the floor. He then turned and placed a hand on his Saiyan assistant. "There is no purpose to wasting a life, so I shall put it to work where it might do some good."

Raditz tilted his head and gave him a curious look. His master just smiled at him. The tall Saiyan gave a startled cry and reached up to feel for his missing halo.

A deep wail of sorrow filled the room, drawing attention to the large man holding the still body of his daughter as he sobbed. "No. Chi-Chi."

Shin stepped up to him. "I'm very sorry but it needed to be done. I could not risk anymore of her attacks on my Saiyans."

The human nodded glumly and slumped in on himself. He seemed to have aged years in moments. "She was still my daughter. I don't know what happened with her."

He looked up at the Kai in resignation. "You're taking my grandson from me as well aren't you?"

Shin gave him a small nod before stepping back beside his companions. "You showed weakness in bowing to your daughters demands. I must make sure the child is protected by those who would do what is needed for his welfare."

He turned and gave Kibito a look. "We must go. The other one needs us."

The red male placed a hand on each of his companions shoulders and they vanished.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Yamcha leaned back against the window sill and watched as Bulma rocked back and forth with Gohan clutched tightly to her chest. He felt so helpless only being able to watch.

Mrs Briefs held a sleeping Trunks as Dr Briefs sat next to her. Worry etched their faces as they sat vigil over Gohan.

The air shimmered as Kaioshin and his entourage appeared. Kibito stepped swiftly in front of Raditz, hiding the Saiyan from view.

The humans in the room shot to their feet. Yamcha placed himself protectively in front of the others. "Who are you?"

Shin gave them his sly smile. "Who I am is not important. I've come for Gohan."

Bulma carefully set the boy in the chair she was in stood protectively in front of him. "I won't let you take him. He's been through enough!"

Shin narrowed his eyes at scene in front of him. "Indeed. The boy has suffered enough at the hands of humans. Even now he is suffering."

The elder Briefs both moved to stand beside their daughter and guard Gohan from the strangers. Mrs Briefs pointed a finger at them. "You best leave before my son gets back. He's gone to find a cure for little Gohan."

Kaioshin's eyes followed as a small furry tail slipped out of the bundle the older woman carried, only to wrap around the arm holding it. A genuine smile lit up the Kai's face. "I see you have another Saiyan child."

Mrs Briefs wrapped both arms around her grandson and stepped back behind her husband in fear.

The Kai held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "It pleases me to see that there are those who would protect my Saiyans. Do you not know of their reputation?"

Bulma moved in front of her mother and crossed her arms. "Yes, we know. But that was in the past under Frieza and Vegeta has been trying to change. Goku was never like that. He was adopted into our family long ago and my parents helped raise him."

Yamcha dropped into a defensive stance. "I really think you should go. I may not like Vegeta, but I'm not going to let anything happen to anyone here."

Shin's smile reached his eyes at the words and actions of those in the room. He waved his hand and Yamcha let out a cry of surprise as he was invisibly moved out of the way. The Kai stepped up in front of Bulma. "You would defend them with your life. I think perhaps you and your family are worthy guardians for the remnants of my creation."

He eyed the woman in front of him. "Would you accept responsibility for more?"

Bulma looked at him in confusion, her arms dropping to her side. "You want to give us another Saiyan?"

Shin nodded with a smile and waited for her answer.

Bulma looked back at her parents, and they nodded their assent. She turned back towards Shin. "Sure. Vegeta and Goku can help keep them in line and we're probably the only ones who can afford to feed them."

The Kai motioned towards Kibito and his assisted stepped aside to reveal Raditz holding his small bundle. There was a gasp of recognition from Bulma before Shin spoke again. "Very good. I have something for you then."

After gesturing Raditz forward towards Bulma, Shin continued. "This is Goku's newly born second son."

Bulma gave a sharp intake of breath as the baby was deposited in her arms.

Shin took the opportunity to slip past her and stand in front of Gohan. Pulling an amulet from a pocket, he reached out towards the boy with it.

Vegeta's voice rasped from the doorway. "What is going on here? Kakarot's chi has been zipping all over the place and the boy's chi vanished."

He spied the Kai standing in front of Gohan and snarled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Shin didn't turn around. "You have a pretty good idea of who I am and know I will not cause harm." He paused for a breath. "The boy was poisoned with magic. I am purging that taint from his system."

He rested the amulet on the boy's head and concentrated. A frown marred the Kai's features. He turned his head to look back at the two adult Saiyans. "The magic has done damage. I need the DNA from one of you to finish healing him."

Vegeta stepped up beside the Kai without hesitation. He looked down at the boy in worry. "Take whatever you need from me if it will heal him."

Kaioshin smiled and pulled out an athame from the folds of his clothing. The Kai gave a reassuring smile and lifted up Gohan's limp hand and held the athame against it. "I only need to mingle a bit of your blood. You will be a part of him forever. Please grasp his hand."

The Prince laid his palm over the blade and Gohan's smaller hand and held tight. The hum of magic filled the air as Shin spoke a few words and pulled the athame sharply out from the clasped hands. A few drops of blood dripped then light glowed around the clasped hands.

Shin sheathed the blade back into his clothing. "It is done. Now we just need to fetch him out of his mind where he is hiding."

Vegeta let go of Gohan's hand and stared at his palm. There was no wound, only a faint scar marked where the blade had been drawn. He looked over at the Kai. "Now what?"

Shin touched his hand to first Gohan's temple, then Vegeta's. "You let him know it's safe and bring him back out."

His vision swirled and then Vegeta found himself standing in dark nothingness. He scowled inwardly. "I could have done that myself, I didn't need him to put me in here."

The Prince reached out with his own mind and felt around for Gohan. As he moved along towards where he sensed the boy, the nothingness formed itself into trees and grass. He found the boy laying belly down across a large rock watching a stream flow past. Sitting beside the child, he reached over and stroked down his back and tail.

Gohan shifted himself to curl across Vegeta's lap. His voice sounded hurt and lost as he spoke. "Why do bad things keep happening to me? I don't even know what happened this time."

Vegeta continued to comfort the boy. "I'm not sure what happened. That purple being that labeled himself as the Ancient is here. He said something about poison and magic then did something to heal you. Now you just need to wake up."

Gohan fisted his hands in the front of Vegeta's shirt and looked up at him. "Can't we just stay here a little bit longer? It's kind of nice just being us again. No one around we have to be wary of."

The Prince gave the boy a genuine smile. "Only for a short while. I could smell the worry and fear on the family when I got here."

He stroked Gohan's long unruly hair. Sliding it between his fingers his studied it. "Don't let them cut your hair. I think it quit growing. I wouldn't have thought hair growth would be an incompatible gene, since hair color and texture obviously aren't. You can decide how you want your hair when you are older."

Finally Vegeta stood and lifted the boy up onto his shoulder.

Gohan gave him a smirk that would rival his own. "I wonder how much of a zenkai I'll get from this?"

The Saiyan Prince growled. "You had better not ever come close to dying again."

Vegeta began to retrace the path he took to get there. "Come. It's time to wake up."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Shin turned and moved away from where Vegeta was kneeling beside Gohan. Once he stood next to Kibito he turned and looked at those in the room. "It is time for us to take our leave. I have duties to attend to."

Raditz hurried over to stand next to the him. "Hold on Master Shin, I'm coming."

The Kai smiled at the tall Saiyan and patted his arm. "You are alive again so you will be staying here with them. Follow your Prince's lead and try to be good. I'm sure your brother could use help protecting this planet."

There was a sudden shift in the air and heads turned to stare as Goku appeared with his hand resting on Baba's shoulder. "We're here. Please let it not be to late."

Baba peered around at the inhabitants of the room from her perch on her crystal ball. When her eyes alighted on the figure of Kaioshin she bowed her head in recognition. "I came to see if I could help the boy. If you are here, I'm guessing that I'm not needed."

Kaioshin gave her a nod. "I have taken care of him. The boy will be fine."

Kibito laid a hand on his shoulder and they vanished.

Baba floated to the door on her crystal ball. "Well since everything seems to be taken care of, I'll be on my way."

"Wait!" Goku looked around bewildered. "But what about Gohan?"

Pausing, Baba looked back at him. "That was one of the Kai's. If he says your son will be fine, it is so."

There was a groan from Gohan's direction. Everyone turned to watch as Vegeta blinked his eyes then lifted the waking boy into an embrace.

A strangled cry escaped from Goku as he rushed over and wrapped his arms around Gohan from the other side. "I'm so sorry, son. I'll make sure your mother pays for what she did."

"She's dead. Master Shin was upset and took care of her before coming here." Raditz fidgeted nervously, unsure how the other Saiyans would greet his presence.

All eyes turned to him. Goku stood and moved the few steps to stand in front of his brother. "What happened? What about my other son?"

Raditz pointed to where Bulma stood cradling a small bundle. "Master Shin brought him here."

He turned his head to look away from Goku. "As for the female, he transferred her life to me and sent her soul on it's way for cleansing."

Goku watched as his brother refused to meet his gaze. "I understand. Something went wrong with her and she changed. Now we don't have to worry about her harming either of the boys."

Gohan gave a startled cry. "So I don't have to ever worry about her trying to come get me again?"

The tall Saiyan gave a nod.

Vegeta stepped into Raditz's line of sight as he set Gohan on his feet. "So he left you here as well. At least you can keep your concentration better than your brother, Kakarot. He's to easily distracted when not in battle."

Mrs Briefs handed little Trunks to his grandfather and took several steps towards the two Saiyans. "Wait a minute. He's my little Goku's brother?"

Vegeta eyed the woman cautiously and took a few steps back from his fellow Saiyan. "Yes, his older brother. Their father was Bardock."

With a squeal, Mrs Briefs launched herself at a very surprised Raditz. "Oh how wonderful! Another boy for me to take care of!"

Raditz looked pleadingly to his Prince for help as the older woman squeezed him and pinched his cheeks, only to be met with laughter.

"You're pitifully weak even compared to the human fighters now." The Prince grinned evilly. "I'm going to enjoy fixing that."

Raditz gulped audibly.


	21. Discussions

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Sorry everyone, it seems I'll be on a two week schedule for this story for a bit. I'm trying to get them done faster but too many chicken chores, garden hot beds to start, and spring cleaning to do right now._ _As for last chapter, I had several different ways to get rid of Chi-Chi written up and each one had a different person doing it. I'd been trying to find a spot to put it in since chapter 12. Then I made a decision about Goten because I think the boys do better with someone their own age as a companion. (oh is that a hint for something in Gohan's future?) Both GT and Super will not exist in this AU I'm writing. GT makes me cringe to much and I only really like the ssj4 transformation out of it. Super goes against the thoughts and plans I had for this story before starting it. Next chapter should be some training and there will be time skips coming up soon.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 21: Discussions**

Krillin looked over at the Namekian flying beside him. "Man I wonder what happened? Gohan's chi dropped and Goku's chi has been all over the place. Now everyone's all together in the direction of Capsule Corp and there's a new power that's to high to be a normal human."

Piccolo frowned in concern. "Goku seemed to be moving in a panic, and with Gohan's power vanishing to almost nothing, I'm worried. Something happening to that boy might be enough to set Vegeta back to his blood thirsty ways."

The ex-monk shuddered at the thought. "Vegeta still scares me. He obviously thought there was something wrong with Gohan the way he powered up to Super Saiyan and took off. We have no hope of catching up with him."

Relief washed over both fighters as they felt Gohan's chi strong once again. They flew in silence the rest of the way to Capsule Corp.

Landing outside the residential building, Krillin cocked his head in thought. "That unknown power seems really familiar. Everyone seems to be in the same place inside."

The Namekian gave him a nod of acknowledgement as they entered the building and searched out their companions.

Voices drifted through the open door of the room ahead of them and they stepped inside.

Surprise froze them in place at the sight of the tall figure with long black hair being hugged to death by Panchy.

A small growl of dislike escaped Piccolo as he recognized the Saiyan. He narrowed his eyes. "Raditz."

Hearing his name, the warrior shifted around Mrs Briefs to see who called him. Piccolo's glaring visage caused him to take a step back, pulling the woman with him.

Krillin dropped into an attack stance. "Let her go you fiend!"

Mrs Briefs released her hold on the Saiyan and spun around. Brandishing her finger, she placed her other hand on her hip. "Oh no you don't! You leave this poor boy alone. I won't have any of you hurting my boys."

Yamcha shook his head where he was leaning against the wall. "Just leave it be, Krillin. You know how she is with her strays. And a Kai just dropped this one in her lap."

Stunned with confusion, Krillin dropped his arms to his side. "What is going on here?"

Piccolo pushed past the short fighter. "Is Gohan alright? It felt like something happened to him."

The Prince gave a snort and picked the boy up. "I'm given to understand his mother tried something again."

Goku watched the interaction with sad eyes, but didn't move to take his son. "I'm so sorry, Gohan. I failed to protect you again, even after I promised."

Raditz looked over his shoulder at his estranged brother. "It wasn't your fault. She put some potion in the drink. Probably would have killed him, too, if Master Shin hadn't set some sort of mystical scrying on the boy after he almost died last time. When the danger alarm went off, it replayed back what happened. Master Shin knew what to get to fix it."

He gestured towards Bulma. "We arrived there just in time to prevent that crazy woman from giving the same stuff to the baby."

Piccolo arched an eyebrow. "Who is this Master Shin?"

Raditz shrugged. "He's a Kai of some sort. Beyond that I can't say. He just had me running errands mostly for the last nine months. And training. Lots and lots of training. He said I was to weak to obtain my potential."

The Namekian crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "It is very odd for a Kai to involve themselves in simple mortal affairs."

The wicked smile that crossed Raditz's face had Vegeta narrowing his eyes in suspicion. He grabbed a lock of the other Saiyan's hair and pulled his head to him. "What do you know? I have questions that need answered."

A loud squall broke through the air, disrupting the questioning.

Bulma cooed to the crying bundle in her arms, then turned her glare on the males in the room. "You can take your testosterone fights outside later. Right now we have a new baby that needs cared for as well as Gohan. If we're going to have adult discussions, I'd rather do it in the comfort of the living room."

She looked over at Goku. "Carry your son. He needs some rest after his ordeal. Mom and I will get some food for the kids. They all need it."

She turned and headed out the door to the kitchen.

Goku obediently moved to Vegeta to take the boy. The Prince held the child out and Goku lifted Gohan up to sit on his arm and followed after Bulma.

Mrs Briefs put both of her hands on her hips and stared down the remaining fighters. "You boys better behave. Now you heard Bulma, move it!"

With a few well placed glares, she had the males out of the room and heading down the hall.

As the group took their choice of seats in the myriad of chairs and couches in the living room, silence reigned.

Raditz sat nervously in the chair he'd selected. Steepling his fingers together, he studied them as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world. He glanced to the couch where Vegeta and Goku sat next to each other, Gohan snuggled in the space between their bodies. Sweating lightly, he knew the other Saiyans could smell his distress. His eyes roamed over to the empty seat next to his Prince and contemplated moving to the safety of his own kind.

Vegeta gave the long haired Saiyan an irritated growl. "Quit fidgeting like a coward, you're pissing me off."

Raditz's face flushed in embarrassment at being called out. "Ah, um, I wasn't exactly on good terms with some of the people here last time I saw them. I was more powerful than them back then, but... But Mister Kabito taught me how to sense power and I can tell that even with the training they gave me, just about everyone here could crush me like a bug. I don't really want to die again hours after being given life. It kind of hurts."

Goku looked around the room accessing the moods of his friends. He felt no actual hostile intentions. Scratching the back of his head he smiled at his brother. "Don't worry so much. No one here is going to hurt you. Hell, I think other than Gohan, all us fighters have died at some point."

Relaxing slightly at his brothers words, Raditz awkwardly returned his smile and flushed. "Ah, yeah. I'm sorry about that."

He waved towards Gohan. "What with the incident with the boy, and spending so much time with Master Shin, I've had a lot of things to think about."

The Saiyan dropped back into his nervous silence.

Bulma strode into the room and claimed the seat next to Vegeta. She carefully held the baby in one arm and a large bottle in the other. She smiled softly as the child sucked down the nourishment. "It's a good thing we have plenty of formula for Trunks. I wasn't expecting another baby around here so soon."

"Everything will be fine. I'll just order some more cases of formula. We know how to take care of the little ones here." Mrs Briefs spoke as she came in, balancing a large tray with a plate of food, glass of juice, and another large baby bottle. She placed the plate and drink on the coffee table in front of Gohan. "Eat up, sweetie. You've had a horrible ordeal today and need your strength."

Leaving the tray, she took the bottle and sat next to her husband. Panchy grinned into the wide blue eyes of the boy he still held and offered the bottle. "Is my little Trunks hungry?"

Baby Trunks reached for the bottle and happily sucked down his meal.

Gohan sat staring warily at the food in front of him, not moving to touch anything. Bulma looked at him questioningly. "What's wrong? I thought you Saiyans were always hungry."

The boy flicked his eyes to her and back to the food. His stomach growled but he still made no move to eat.

Vegeta huffed and reached for the meal. He took a few bites then a small drink of the beverage. He stared Gohan in the eyes. "See, it's fine. Eat."

Goku stared in confusion. "What was that about."

Raditz snorted from his chair and crossed his arms. "I told you, that witch poisoned his food. I'd be nervous about it for a while, too. Some of the assholes on Frieza's ship would put things in our food sometimes. I know how he feels."

A whistling suck announced that Trunks had finished his bottle. After a loud burp, the boy squirmed on his Grandfather's shoulder.

Mr Briefs gave the boy a few more pats on the back, and chuckled. "So much energy, huh, my boy. Alright, I'll put you down."

Once his feet touched the ground, Trunks swayed a bit, tail counterbalancing his movements. Turning his head, he stared in awe at the people in the room. Then his eyes found one of his favorite persons and he squealed in delight before taking unsteady steps in that direction.

Raditz eyed the boy as he tottered near him. As Trunks misstepped and began to fall, the Saiyan reached out with a hand and caught him.

Bulma's eyes narrowed in apprehension as Raditz lifted the boy up to examine him. "You're an odd little whelp with that coloring."

Trunks grunted and twisted in the Saiyan's grasp. Raditz carefully set him back on his feet and watched as the boy resumed his tumbling steps towards his target. Reaching the couch, the boy almost fell again but grabbed tightly to his mother's leg before walking sideways past her. Stopping at his father, he reached up opening and closing both of his tiny hands as he squawked for attention.

With a grunt of acknowledgement, Vegeta lifted his son to his lap and wrapped his tail around the boy to keep him from falling.

The Prince looked up to see Raditz staring at him with almost comically wide eyes. "What's your problem?"

The other Saiyan stammered. "I..um...yeah...um. It's just I never thought you'd ever be one to take care of children."

Vegeta's lips lifted in a smirk. "I don't see why not. He's my son. I must make sure he grows up as a proper Saiyan."

Raditz's jaw dropped in shock as he stared at his Prince. "This is your child?! How the hell did that happen?"

Bulma rolled her eyes and looked over at the third adult Saiyan in the room. "He's your brother, Goku. You get to explain the birds and the bees to him."

Raditz sputtered indignantly. "I know what sex is! I just want to know how Vegeta of all people managed to get someone to have his kid."

An evil grin flitted across Gohan's face. He swallowed down the food he was chewing and gave the most innocent look he could. "Aunt Bulma took Uncle Vegeta into her bedroom one night and he made her scream a lot."

Bulma looked at the boy in horror as her face flushed deep red. "I am not that loud!"

Mrs Briefs sighed as she walked over and took the baby from her daughter. She patted Bulma on the arm. "It's alright dear. Remember that's why we had some sound proofing put in your room. Poor Gohan had to sleep in the living room that night."

Bulma gave a frustrated scream. "Do you all enjoy embarrassing me over that still?"

Vegeta grinned as he grabbed her, preventing her from leaving. "Yes. You're much to fun to play with."

Yamcha clapped his hands over his ears, a pained expression on his face. "I do not need to hear this." He stormed out of the room.

Krillin watched his friend leave with pity and sighed. "He really needs to get over his jealousy. Every time we go out for a night on the town he goes home with a different girl. There is no reason for him to keep pining after Bulma. I'll go find him later and have another talk with him."

Piccolo snorted from the wall. "You mammals and your pairing rituals. Eggs are so much easier."

The bald man turned his attention back to the couch where Mrs Briefs was handing the tiny baby to his father. "So Goku, what are you naming the kid?"

Goku looked up from where he'd been staring at his new son's face. "Oh, I'm not sure. I hadn't thought about it yet. Everything has just been happening so fast. What do you think we should name him, Gohan?"

As the boy studied his brother, he shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not good with making up names."

Mrs Briefs laid a hand on her adopted son's shoulder. "How about Goten. He was brought to us as a little gift from heaven."

Goku smiled and held his son closer. "Yeah. I like that. Little Goten."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

After much chattering about children, Dr Briefs excused himself to his lab, pausing only to pat Gohan on the head on his way out.

Bulma and her mother had retreated with both babies, leaving the males with the admonishment to "behave or else."

A heavy silence fell over the remaining group. Piccolo shifted in his place against the wall. He looked pointedly at Raditz. "So what are we going to do with him?"

Vegeta crossed his arms and thought for a moment. The stood up and circled Raditz. "Well he needs training. He can go in the gravity room with the humans for now until he catches up."

The Prince looked over at Krillin. "You're in charge of Raditz's training for now. Do not go easy on him. He'll never get close to reaching Super Saiyan if you do."

The bald warrior frowned. "Shouldn't he be training with the rest of you Saiyans?"

Vegeta shook his head. "He'd never keep up with us or the Namek at the moment."

He paused to glare at Goku. "Besides we are going to be a little busy. I'd forgotten about Kakarot's little teleporting trick. That's something that is too useful. He _**will**_ be teaching it to everyone who can learn it."

Raditz frowned from his chair. "Don't I get a say in this? I'm not a little child you know. I think Super Saiyan is a little out of my reach anyway."

The Prince gave his a look that froze him in place. "You will train, and you will learn. Part of your day you will spend time with human family and get to know them. You always did have a soft spot for children so you can help there. Bulma doesn't like those who don't do their share around the place."

Raditz cocked his head to the side. "Which one is Bulma?"

Goku grinned at him. "She's the one with blue hair. She's my sister. Just watch out. She can be really scary sometimes. Even Vegeta is afraid of her."

Vegeta growled and punched the other Saiyan in the arm. "I am not afraid of my wife, Kakarot. She just tends to be creative and evil if things don't go her way."

Raditz laughed. "So what did you do, find the most Saiyan like female you could on this planet?"

Lifting his lips in a snarl, the Prince glared at the older brother as well. "No! It was simply a mutual understanding."

He looked away from them in annoyance. "Besides, we don't need Saiyan women to restore our race. There is some sort genetic fail-safe with the Super Saiyan transformation. Only a pure Saiyan can sustain the ascension, so the body of a half breed changes in order to do so."

Raditz held up his hands placatingly. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm still amazed that humans are compatible."

The Prince sneered. "We are compatible because Saiyans were created from the same ancestor ages ago."

Dead silence fell in the room.

Gohan shifted to look up at the older Saiyan. "I thought we weren't going to tell anyone about what we learned on that ship."

Vegeta put a hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "The Namekian has shown himself as a well trusted teacher and advisor. Baldy there has shown loyalty and honor in my dealings with him on Namek and since. It's the scar faced one that sets me on edge still."

Goku frowned at the Saiyan next to him. "Can't you use peoples names?"

The Prince smirked back and pointed at the two in the room in turn. "I do use their names occasionally. Well I do for Piccolo and Krillin since they have earned my respect. The simpering weakling that left was Yamcha. With some of the things that the woman has told me, he may never get that respect."

Vegeta waved off that line of conversation and stared down Raditz. "You have some questions you need to answer. I know that the short male you were working for is a Kai of some sort and that he had to do with creating our people. He left before I could ask him what I needed. Surely in that time he enlightened you with some of the origins of our race."

Raditz rubbed his arms nervously. "I only know a little bit. Just what he was willing to share. Our race was a long term plan to fight some huge upcoming evil. Our legends were wrong. It was never supposed to be just one Super Saiyan, it was supposed to be the majority of the race. The Kai felt it was best to leave us to grow on our own like any other race. We were supposed to be protectors of people, not the death of worlds. Somehow we got it all twisted. You see where that lead us. Allying with Frieza and the destruction of Vegetasai. Master Shin didn't think there had been any survivors of that destruction. News of Kakarot ascending and defeating that tyrant on Namek spread pretty fast through Otherworld. That's when Master Shin started to watch the remnants of our race."

He pointed a finger at the boy wedged between the other two Saiyans. "He said that the boy existing gave him hope for the future of our people. He'd looked through the life ledgers of the four Vegetasai survivors. I'm sure you can guess how three of us looked with all that planet purging. What surprised him was when he found Vegeta taking care of Gohan and training him."

Raditz stared his Prince in the eyes. "You showed willingness to do penance for your deeds. You put the boy's happiness before your own. I know you and your pride and I would never have expected that. What happened to your plans for making your own kingdom after Frieza was defeated?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes for a moment before closing them and taking a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again he was absolutely calm. He leaned forward and placed a hand on the coffee table. "I have my kingdom here. There may be no need for royalty and it may include humans and a Namekian, but it is mine. I will protect it with everything I have."

He paused when Goku shifted then laid his own hand on top of his on the table.

The earth raised Saiyan gave Vegeta a serious, yet determined look. "I'll stand beside you in that."

Gohan squirmed off the couch and placed his own small hand on top of his father's. "Me, too."

Piccolo let is lip twitch up at one corner. "How far we have come."

He strode over to kneel and place his own hand on the pile. "I'm in."

Krillin hopped up and over to the group to put in his own hand. "Count me in as well."

All eyes turned to look at Raditz. He stared back in surprise. "Are you sure you want me?"

Vegeta quirked a lip. "You have been my brother in all but blood for most of my life. It was us against the universe under Frieza. I never meant it when I said we were better off without you after you died. You may be pathetically weak right now, but we will fix that."

Raditz eagerly jumped forward to place his hand with the others. "I'll do my best to protect my new home and my family."

As they all withdrew their hands, Vegeta stood up. "Alright. We've had enough chit chat and lost most of today's training. Kakarot you can go introduce your brother to the wonders of the gravity chamber this afternoon. But first we will go dig through the stores of junk from Frieza's ship and find him a battle suit to wear for training."

He sized up the long haired Saiyan with an evil grin. "He also needs to see Panchy about getting measured for clothing. We can't have him running around all the time in that ridiculous outfit."

Gohan snickered beside the Prince. "We should convince Grandma to take him shopping."

Shudders ran down the spines of everyone but a confused Raditz.

Piccolo crossed his arms and shook his head while striding to the door. "I'm out of here before your talk summons her and she drags me to that awful food store again."

Goku hung his head and shivered. "Oh this is much worse than a food store, Piccolo. Clothes shopping is the worst. Especially if it's at the mall. The smells. The horrid, horrid smells. And I swear that half the people don't bathe."

Krillin started laughing as the three Saiyans by the couch held identical looks of terror on their faces. "It's not that bad."

The dark looks promising pain made him gulp in fear. "Uh, ok. Maybe with your noses it is. Sorry."

Goku put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "I want you taking it easy for the next few days, son. No training until we decide you're ready again. You've had a rough day."

The boy's brow furrowed in dejection. "But I like training. It makes me feel good."

He turned to Vegeta. "Uncle, you'll let me train right?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes at the child's attempt to play them against each other. "You're father is right. You should relax for a bit. With the danger threat from your Mother finally gone, we can leave you with your Grandmother."

Gohan looked around the room wildly. "She really is gone, right?"

Raditz nodded his head. "Yes. I was given her life. If I'm here, she can't be. Master Shin hurried her soul along as well. She will not be able to be wished back."

The boy let out a long sigh of relief.

Vegeta cleared his throat. "Alright. We still have walking tin cans coming in a few years we will need to take care of. Let's get back to training."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan sat on the half wall outside the main entrance to Capsule Corp watching the large amount of vehicles entering the grounds. Group after group of fancily dressed people made their way to the large new dome that had been erected sometime while they were last out training.

He glanced over to where his Grandmother cheerfully weeded and watered the flower beds around the doorway. "Why are all those people here?"

The woman sat back on her heels and turned to see what the boy was looking at. Spying the crowd she smiled. "Oh, it's just some private event. After your handsome uncle Vegeta scared off the reporters those months ago, the media people have been afraid to come back. It was rather nice. Then a few colleagues of your Grandfather started asking to rent out rooms for meetings so they wouldn't be hounded. Word got around, then more and more people wanted to rent space. One night at our society bridge party, Mrs Pudding suggested we should just put up a separate building with rooms and ballroom to rent out. I spoke with your Grandfather and Bulma about it and both thought it was a wonderful idea."

Looking over the plantings she gave a nod of satisfaction, then stood up and dusted off her knees. She gathered up her gardening tools then smiled at the boy. "Let's go make you a snack. The girls will be over here for bridge this afternoon."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Goku peaked around the corner of the doorway into the living room, careful not to draw any attention to himself. He really needed Bulma to come do a quick fix on the gravity chamber, but she was sitting in the middle of the room holding Goten with all the society ladies gathered around her cooing at the baby. He shuddered at the thought of all the cheek pinching and groping he would receive if he set foot in there.

Suddenly he had a flash of evil insight and quietly backed away down the hall and to the kitchen where the others were waiting.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he put on a fake smile and rubbed the back of his head as he walked in. "Well guys, Bulma is in there holding the baby and Mom's got Trunks. All the ladies are all acting weird about the kids again."

He gave his brother a surreptitious glance. "So someone needs to go hold Goten for a bit so Bulma can come help. Those of us who know how the gravity should be working really need go with her and explain what needs done. I think trading places with Bulma for us would be a good job for Raditz."

Missing the matching smirks on Vegeta and Gohan, the tall Saiyan shrugged, then stood up and moved to the door. "Alright. I have no problem holding the whelp. He is my nephew after all."

Goku gave him a hearty pat on the back. "Great! You're a good brother, Raditz. Taking one for the team."

Raditz turned and looked at him in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Seeing Goku fumble with words, Vegeta stepped in to help. "Just get the woman so we can get to training."

Raditz brushed it off and went to retrieve Bulma.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The long haired Saiyan strode confidently into the living room and looked around for Bulma's blue hair. Spying her in a chair surrounded by several older females he made his way carefully over to her.

Bulma gave Raditz a surprised smile and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something I can help you with, Raditz?"

Noticing everyone was looking at him, he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Err...Kakarot said he needs your help fixing something on the gravity chamber. He told me to come in here and hold his son so you could go."

Bulma narrowed her eyes. "And he didn't warn you about anything, did he?"

He shook his head as she stood up. "No. I don't mind holding the boy."

Bulma gave him a Cheshire grin and set the baby into his arms and maneuvered him to sit in the chair. "Good! Here you go. I'll be back in a bit. Mom can take care of you."

Mrs Briefs watched her daughter leave then turned back to her cronies. "Well dears, this is Goku's older brother Raditz. He just got here today so be gentle with him. We're going to officially adopt him. Can't be keeping to brothers apart by legal mumbo jumbo. Then he can get to work on getting me more grand-babies with cute little tails."

Mrs Cake squealed as she reached out a hand and pinched the Saiyan's cheek. "My he's a handsome one just like his brother. Little Gohan looks so much like him, too."

Mrs Pudding gave his bicep a firm squeeze. "Oh, he's a strong one as well! You Briefs sure do collect the good looking fighters around here."

She gave Raditz a cheeky grin. "I have a daughter you might be interested in when you're in the mood to date."

Raditz swallowed hard and looked around at the women closing in on him. _'I'll get even with Kakarot for this!'_

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma had just left the gravity room after running a quick diagnostic and reset on the training pod's computer. Nothing major was wrong, just a loose connection that was fixed in seconds.

Vegeta, Goku, and Krillin were discussing where to start the Raditz on the gravity training when Bulma returned to the pod. They looked at her curiously.

Cocking his head to the side, Vegeta walked over to his wife. "What's wrong?"

She gave him a smirk then burst out laughing. "I just saw something I never thought I'd see from a Saiyan. The ladies were all fawning over Raditz and I think he likes it!"


	22. Retribution

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*I'm sorry this is late. No good excuses other than life can suck the life out of you sometimes. The next chapter should actually be on time since I've got part of it done already. BTW if anyone wants to volunteer to come do some light farm chores in the mud, while I heal from a fall, I'm all for it. I fully blame any actions of Mrs Briefs' friends on my Mom. I asked for advice on their actions. Generally they are sweet old ladies (hence the names. I really think about names usually)*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 22: Retribution**

The sound of loud protests and shouts caused King Yenma to look up from his paperwork in irritation. He looked over to one of his office assistants and pointed to the door. "Go see what the problem is."

The oni hurried to obey.

A few minutes later the door opened to three onis ushering in the cloud like mass of a belligerent soul.

The amorphous shape pulsed as it screamed profanities at those herding it forward. "Do you bastards know who I am?! I demand to see your superior! I am princess and I demand to be treated as such!"

A vein pulsed in King Yenma's forehead as the piercing voice hammered his eardrums. "SILENCE!"

All sound in the huge office ceased, except for the mutterings of the soul.

It seemed to turn it's attention to the giant oni behind the desk and began to screech again. "I don't know who you people think you are! I demand to be given my life back! It was wrongly stolen from me!"

King Yenma glared over the desk. "I said silence! I am the judge of souls here, so you would do best to show me some respect!"

He reached for a ledger in his stack. "Now who are you?"

The soul in question quieted for just a moment. "I am the Ox Princess Chi-Chi. One of my husband's good for nothing friends stole my life."

The oni gave a grunt and flipped through his book. "Ah, yes. Here you are. Hmm. It says you had a large chunk of life left."

The soul turned purple in rage. "SEE! They stole it from me!"

Yenma silenced it with a glare. "Yes, well, you are here now. Judging by the acts in your ledger you have some things to atone for. However, seeing as you're the wife of such an esteemed fellow as that Goku, I may be able to do something for you."

"No." The voice that spoke was full of authority, causing even the Judge of the dead to pause in respect. Kaioshin fully materialized into the room with Kabito.

Chi-Chi screamed in hatred. "This is the asshole that stole my life! Punish him!"

Yenma looked at the small male in slight fear before focusing back on the soul. "I said silence! You will be respectful to the Supreme Kai!"

He turned his attention back to his ultimate supervisor. "Is there something I might do for you Sir?"

Shin gave him a nod of respect. "Yes. This soul has caused harm to one of my great projects. She attempted the demise of two of the few remaining Saiyans. I am sure you remember what I had spoke to you of last time I was here."

The oni nodded and waited for the Kai to continue. "She posed to much of a risk to the safety of the universe. So I put her life to better use elsewhere. A lock is to be put on her soul until it is cleansed. She is not to be resurrected by any means until her punishment is done and she has repented."

Yenma bowed his head in deference to the Kai's wishes. "It shall be done. Chi-Chi I condemn you to hell to fulfill your sentence."

The soul blackened in anger and screamed it's hate as a hole opened beneath it, carrying it to it's fate.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma slipped quietly back into the living room. Raising the camera up she began quietly snapping pictures. She laughed quietly to herself. _'Oh these are pure gold. Those guys are cowards for not coming and seeing for themselves.'_

Her laugh became more audible when one of her mother's friends ran a hand over Raditz's shoulders. He jumped at the action.

The older lady gave a giggle with her action. "Oh my! You are definitely a strong one. I love muscles on a man."

Mrs Briefs let out a snicker and moved over to the Saiyan and reached down to take the baby from his arms.

Raditz pulled the child closer into a protective embrace as he looked around at all of the women who began to converge on him.

Patting his hand gently, Mrs Briefs gave him a comforting smile. "It's alright. Little Goten is asleep now. I'm just going to put him to bed with little Trunks."

Brow furrowing, Raditz reluctantly released his nephew to her. He watched as she moved over to the crib tucked in the corner of the room and laid the baby down next to a sleeping Trunks.

Raditz felt more than saw the eyes of the women turn towards him. The fur on his tail bristled out in worry.

Quickly standing up, he scratched the back of his head. "Um, I think I need to go see what my brother is doing."

A small hand took a firm grip on his arm. Mrs Pie gave him a leering smile. "Now don't be in such a hurry, dear. We just want to get to know you a bit better. It's not fair for Panchy to be hoarding all these cute men to herself."

Raditz raised an eyebrow and swallowed hard. He tried to take a step back away from the woman.

A hand slid over his butt and squeezed a cheek.

Almost jumping back into Mrs Pie, Raditz turned to look wild eyed at the black haired woman behind him.

She gave him an innocent smile. "Oh you're a nice one. No flab on you!"

Another hand patted the Saiyan's rear and he whirled in that direction to face another lady. She reached up and gave his arm a squeeze. "Oh if I was only twenty years younger."

A soft clicking came from the doorway and Mrs Briefs looked over to see her daughter snapping pictures of the scene. Turning her attention back to the flustered Saiyan she sighed and made a small attempt to free him. "Now, now, girls. You're married women. Beside, my poor boy here isn't used to so much attention."

Mrs Cobbler looked over at her friend as she continued to play with Raditz's arm. "Nonsense dear. You should know all men love the attention. He's even smiling."

From a shadowed corner of the doorway, Gohan peered in. He'd been the only one willing to follow Bulma back to where the group of ladies were. His small form had gone unnoticed as he watched and listened.

He looked at the older Saiyan's face at Mrs Cobblers words. A chill went down his spine. _'That's not a smile, he's baring his teeth. He looks really freaked out. Even his tail is poofed out and twitching. Why hasn't Bulma noticed? Vegeta does that often enough when he's mad. Raditz seems to have a lot more patience. Vegeta would have already started yelling at least. I guess I need to do something.'_

Knowing that Raditz probably didn't want to actually harm anyone, Gohan steeled himself for his own unwanted attention.

Rushing into the room, he made a beeline for the other Saiyan. Big crocodile tears sprung from the boy's eyes as he screwed up his face into a sorrowful expression. "Uncle Raditz! Uncle Raditz! I need you to come help me now!"

The ladies let go of the tall Saiyan and turned towards the boy. Mrs Cake looked over from her spot near Panchy. "Oh it's little Gohan! Is everything alright?"

Gohan shivered and resisted the urge to turn and flee. He reached out and tugged on Raditz's hand. "Come on Uncle Raditz."

Not one to pass up an opportunity, the Saiyan picked up the boy and moved quickly to get out of the room. "Hush nephew, it's ok. You're supposed to be resting."

Bulma shared a confused look with her mother. Vegeta was just out in the Gravity Room and Gohan ALWAYS sought him out if he had a problem. Even his father was second choice if the Prince was around. She looked down at the image on her camera's screen and blanched.

She stepped over to whisper to her mother. "I feel so guilty that I missed it. Your friends were getting to handsy with Raditz. He was pretty close to snapping. It's a good thing Gohan came along. Maybe you should have a word with the girls about touching the Saiyans. Even Goku is pretty picky about being touched so I'm guessing it's something instinctive."

Panchy gave her daughter a nod and turned to the group. "Ok girls, we should get to our game. But first there is something I need to warn you about."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Striding through the kitchen and out the door onto the patio, a relieved Raditz was making good time getting as far away from the women as he could. He looked down at the boy he carried. He couldn't smell any injury or illness on him. Even the scent of tears was fading. He quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head down to look the child in the face. "There's nothing wrong with you is there?"

Gohan gave him a grin. "I just thought you needed some help escaping from them."

Raditz gave a snort before setting the boy on his feet and gesturing for him to lead the way. "Well you are now officially my favorite person here. I don't think I could have taken much more of their grabby hands."

Gohan snickered at the shudder that passed through the older Saiyan. "Most of them aren't like that. Mrs Cake is fine when it's just her and Grandma. Even Uncle will tolerate her presence. He said Mrs Cake can come around as long as she brings those cookies he likes. He didn't even complain when Aunt Bulma let her hold Trunks. He doesn't like anyone near him who isn't family."

Raditz gave his own nod and crossed his arms. "Yeah, the instinct to protect our young from rival clans is strong. I remember my own father attacking someone who got too close to me."

He looked down at the boy. "By uncle you mean Vegeta, right? I'm surprised he lets you call him that. Though over in Otherworld, he seemed even more possessive of you than Kakarot."

Gohan blushed and turned his head away. "He said that he'd always take care of me as an Uncle because he wouldn't make a good father. That was before we even knew about Trunks. Back when we were looking for Daddy in space. He has claimed that I'm his several times, but he also claimed Daddy as his, too."

Now Raditz gave a low whistle. "Boy has Vegeta changed. The Prince I grew up with was too full of pride to ever admit he cared for anyone. He only tolerated me because we're the same age and grew up together. He hated Nappa with a passion. Not that I blame him with all the crap that Nappa did or allowed to happen to us. I hated him as well."

Gohan looked up at him. "He's missed you. He has talked about you sometimes. Besides, if he didn't care about anyone he wouldn't be a Super Saiyan."

The boy let out a sigh at the questioning look Raditz gave him. "Super Saiyan is driven by need not want. The need to protect someone else has been what made us all ascend. After the first time, you just have to kind of recreate that need in your mind to change until you know how to do it. I mean, I know what it feels like now, so I can reach inside and kind of flip a switch. It's much better now. The first time makes you oh so angry. Controlling the emotions and rage is hard. Mr Piccolo helped out a lot with his teachings."

The tall Saiyan ruminated on the boy's words. It went against a lot that he was taught under Frieza. He shrugged mentally. Death changed him as well as living under a Kai. _'If Vegeta can look past all his rage to have feelings for someone, then so can I. The boy here is very easy to like.'_

Gohan stopped as they came to the door smaller Gravity Room. Floating up so he could reach, he typed in the pass code. The door slid open immediately, indicating gravity had been off.

The boy stepped inside."This is the Gravity Room that the humans have been using. Uncle hasn't set the more powerful one up out here since we keep going back out into the wilderness. I can't quite take the maximum level of this one yet, but I know I'll get there soon. Daddy says he thinks it's taking me longer to catch up because I'm so young. Him and Uncle can take the other one up to 500g."

Vegeta's voice drew their attention to the Prince. "It doesn't matter much at the point you're at, boy. Past 450g it doesn't seem to offer enough gains to offset the problems caused by the increased gravity. We will be dropping the gravity level of our training and adding weights."

He eyed the boy until Gohan started to fidget under the stare. "I thought you were told to sit over out of the way. I don't want you training for a few days."

Gohan scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "I didn't do anything stressful, really. I just rescued Raditz from Grandma's friends. They were getting all touchy and he looked ready to snap."

Goku walked up to stand in front of his brother and crossed his arms. "You didn't do anything to them did you? They are just human women. They can't hurt you."

Raditz sneered at the other Saiyan. "Yeah. Just grabby human females. You knew they were like that, too, didn't you. That's why you sent me. That way you didn't have to deal with them. I feel dirty just from their touching me. I wasn't expecting to be molested."

Goku cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What? They always just try and pinch my cheeks."

Krillin lifted his head out of the large box he was digging in and voiced his opinion. "They are afraid of what Panchy would do to them if they touched her little boy. They've known you since you were twelve. You're also smart on leaving before they show up or as soon as you see them. Yamcha and I haven't been so lucky sometimes. A few of those ladies like to play with butts and anything else they can get away with. Tell Panchy or Cake you don't like it and they will put a stop to it."

Vegeta's low growl sent a shiver down a few spines. "I won't have them molesting any Saiyans. Raditz doesn't need to deal with that shit. That's getting into Zarbon territory."

Raditz flinched at the name and seemed to shrink into himself. His eyes hazed over in memory and he began to shake.

Goku looked him for a moment then reached out a hand to pull his brother into his embrace. They may have been estranged, but he could tell the other male was hurting. He looked over questioningly at Vegeta.

The Prince gave a tired sigh before pulling the brothers to a wall and forcing them to sit. _'I forgot how much that asshat's name sets Raditz off.'_

He leaned heavily into Raditz's shoulder while Goku held the tall Saiyan from the other side.

Gohan watched as they attempted to drive off the demons of the past with quiet comfort. The boy carefully crawled into Raditz's lap and gave him a hug. "It's ok. I'll help Uncle and Daddy keep you safe. Whatever Zarbon did to you, he can't do it again."

Krillin rubbed his chin lost in thought for a second. "That was the pretty boy bastard that Vegeta killed on Namek, wasn't it?"

A small smile pulled at Raditz's lips at that declaration. "Vegeta, I hope you made that asshole suffer."

The Prince gave a nod. "It was the second most satisfying kill I ever did. Shoved my hand into his stomach and blew his guts out. Only watching Frieza's lifeless corpse fall in front of me was better."

Raditz took a deep breath and tried to relax. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his soul. "I'm fine. I'm fine. That is the most wonderful news I've ever heard. It's just memories now. I can fight off those monsters."

He looked down at the boy in his lap. He cupped Gohan's face with both hands. "It's you we should be worried about. With everything so fresh, how are you holding up? It's been a rough day with the almost dying."

Gohan shrugged and scooted over onto his father. "I'm alright. This wasn't the first time she's hurt me. I guess I kind of got used to it. But now she's gone and I'm free."

He gave the three Saiyans in front of him a serious look. "I promise I will do everything I can to make sure Trunks and Goten don't turn out anything like me. I know I don't act right."

Goku squeezed his eyes shut in despair as he wrapped his arms around his son. "Oh, Gohan. There is nothing wrong with you. I hope those boys grow up just as strong and brave as you. If anyone has something wrong with them it's me. I'm the one who married Chi-Chi and I'm the one who failed to protect you."

Suddenly Vegeta was beside Goku with one hand in his hair, pulling his head to face him. "Don't you ever let me hear you blame yourself again, Kakarot! You had no control over what that bitch did!"

Krillin stepped up in front of the Saiyans. "He's right, Goku. She abused you just as much as she did Gohan. Just in a different way. You were always so sure of yourself growing up. Look at what she did to you in the five years we didn't see you. Made you think you were to blame for everything."

He turned to Raditz and dropped a pile of clothes into his lap. "I went through the battle suits we looted off Frieza's ship. Those should fit you. You'll have to go through the boots yourself."

The bald man reached a hand out to his best friend. "Come on, Goku. How about a spar. That always has made you feel better. Then once Raditz is ready we can introduce him to some gravity."

Goku gave his friend a soft smile. Sliding Gohan off his lap, he took the offered hand. "Sure. I think we all could use it. Except Gohan. He can stay sitting here."

The boy looked up at him with a pout. "But I feel fine. I'll be bored sitting here all alone."

Vegeta gave an evil smirk and pulled the boy to him. "I'll sit here with you. You can help me plot out the training we are going to put Raditz through for the next few months. We've got those damn androids coming in just over two years. Another _ascended_ Saiyan will be a big help, if we can get Raditz to that level."

A smirk identical to the Prince's lit up Gohan's face. "Oh, I can think of a few things!"

Raditz felt a chill run up his spine. "What fresh hell did I get resurrected into?"

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Removing the many layers of his Kai uniform, the long haired Saiyan pulled on the stretchy material. He gave his arms a satisfied stretch. "Oh it's nice to be in something comfortable again."

Krillin gave him a nod and stepped up to the control panel. "You don't need the boots yet. We're not leaving here for a while."

There was a wicked gleam in the small man's eyes as he tinkered with the controls. Pressing start, the room lighting turned red in warning. He turned to watch the long haired Saiyan with a smirk.

Raditz was unceremoniously pulled to the floor. He let out a pained groan as he hit the hard surface, knocking the air out of his lungs. Struggling to breathe properly, he looked up at the human with panic in his eyes.

Krillin gave an evil laugh before lowering the gravity from 100g down to 10g. He then walked over to stand in front of struggling Saiyan who had finally managed to make it to his hands and knees. "Now we're even for that tail slap through Kame house when you first showed up."

The human reached down to assist the Saiyan to his feet. "No hard feelings I hope. I just had to get that out of my system."

Raditz flicked his tail out, catching Krillin around the ankles and pulled his feet out from under him. He gave a panting laugh. "Nope I'm great."

The two looked at each other for a moment before both burst out laughing.

Goku frowned and walked over to the two. The look he gave Krillin was full of disappointment. "Don't you think that was kind of mean?"

Krillin looked away guiltily. "I didn't really hurt him."

Raditz looked up from his place on the floor. "It's fine Kakarot. I deserved it. Now we can start over without the past hanging over us."

After several hours of working the gravity up as far as the long haired Saiyan could stand, Vegeta finally called for a break.

The Prince stood thinking as he contemplated what to do next with Raditz. "I think you need to learn how to sense chi next. If we get that done now, soon you will be able to use it in battle like it's second nature. It's good for knowing where your opponent is without seeing them. This skill will also allow you to recognize how to hide your power from others and tell when they are suppressing their own. Turns a scouter into a worthless piece of junk."

He looked around at the other fighters in the room. "Gohan had an excellent idea. Once Raditz has the basics down, the rest of us will go out into the city and suppress our chi to just far enough above a humans to pick out. Then Raditz will have to find us."

Goku smiled and scruffed a hand through his son's hair. "That's my boy. That's a wonderful idea. But first let's get dinner. I'm starving."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma rubbed her tired eyes as she staggered into the bedroom. The quarter moon cast just enough light through the window to allow her to barely see. Fumbling around she stripped out of her clothing and into a nightgown. With a stretch and a yawn she made her way over to the bed.

Seeing several dark masses of hair on her bed, Bulma gave out a groan. "You've got to be kidding me. I've warned them before about all sleeping in my bed. They have their own beds."

The figure closest to her rolled over and opened one eye. He snaked an arm around her waist causing her to squeak in surprise.

Giving a grunt, Vegeta's voice was rough with sleep. "Oh, hush woman. I know how you like your solitude for sleep but it was an emotional day. They are fine for tonight. It will help Raditz store the scents of his family in his mind as well."

He pulled her close to him and rolled, placing her on the bed between him and Goku. Gohan gave a weak growl as she landed on him, before crawling up onto his father's chest and going limp.

Bulma sighed and snuggled into the bed. "Fine. Just for tonight."

Vegeta pulled her closer and buried his face in her hair. His tail rubbed up her back before wrapping over her protectively.

Eyes lowering, both drifted into sleep.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma gave a groan as she struggled to open her eyes. After a few moments, she was finally able to focus on the bare chest she was snuggled in to. The familiar pattern of scars told her that it was Goku without her even looking up to see his face. Her adopted brother had crawled into her bed too many times while growing up, and then again after he'd returned from space, for her half awake brain to even question his presence.

The weight laying across her hips shifted and she realized it must be Gohan's legs. Twisting around in the embrace, she looked to see that indeed Gohan was laying sideways on top of Vegeta with his head tucked under the Prince's chin.

A groan from the other side of Goku alerted her to the presence of Raditz. Suddenly the previous days happenings came back to her and she tried to sit up. Futilely she struggled against Goku's grip before resorting to smacking his chest with her hand. "Let me up. I've got to take care of the babies. Hopefully Mom had the monitor last night."

Vegeta's arm reached over and pulled Goku's hand from her enough for her to squirm out. "There you go, woman. You should know he sleeps like the dead."

Sliding down under the arm, then crawling over the Prince's legs, Bulma extracted herself from the tangle of Saiyans. Pulling on her robe, she rushed from the room.

The door to the nursery was open with no babies in sight so she hurried down to the kitchen.

Dr Briefs sat in his usual spot at the table, cradling Goten while the baby nursed a bottle. Trunks sat in a high chair while Panchy scooped mashed food into his mouth. He gurgled happily upon seeing his mother.

Bulma gave a sigh of relief. "Sorry Mom. Dad. I didn't mean to leave them for you two to take care of all night and this morning.

Mrs Briefs just gave her daughter her customary smile. "Nonsense dear. My baby boys are no problem in the morning. Some babies are such fussy eaters, but Saiyans never turn down food."

"Unless someone has poisoned them." Bulma muttered as she grabbed a cup of coffee.

Her mother shook her head. "I'm sure Gohan will be eating normally again soon. Just give him a few days."

"I hope so. That boy has been through way to much. He needs to know he can still trust us." Bulma sighed and closed her eyes. Gohan's reluctance to eat had carried over to dinner. Vegeta's patience had finally snapped and he had given up on his careful table manners as both him and Goku fed the boy from their own plates to prove the food was safe.

A shuffling at the doorway drew Bulma's attention as Vegeta entered the kitchen carrying a half awake Gohan. He dropped the boy into a chair then took his own seat.

Bulma grabbed a large bowl of fruit and set it between the two Saiyans. "Give me a moment and I'll start cooking."

The Prince gave a grunt and bit into an apple.

Eventually the other fighters staggered in and breakfast was eaten.

After putting the last of the dishes in the sink for the kitchen bot to wash, Bulma slid into the seat beside her husband and squeezed his arm. "So what do you have planned for today?"

He turned to look at her. "Raditz is learning how to sense chi. We will be working on that some. Then the usual."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before standing again. "Well you be good. I have some meetings down town today. I don't want to hear about you destroying something on the news."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

"Oh my. Look the muscles on on that kid."

"I know. I think they are bigger than my husband's."

"He's so little, though. I thought strength training that young was bad."

"What kind of parent lets a boy that young run around the city all alone."

"Look at him I bet he can take care of himself."

Bulma heard all the comments as she stepped out of the elevator into the lobby. A small gathering of people were standing at the windows staring out.

More murmurings could be heard from the watchers.

"That clothing is totally indecent. Who lets a kid wear something that tight."

"He's so belligerent, too. He won't do what that policeman is telling him."

Bulma rubbed her temple where she could feel a throbbing coming on. The description she was hearing sounded an awful lot like a certain small Saiyan. She strode towards the entrance to confirm her fear.

An oily voice met her ears and an unwanted hand slipped around her arm. "Here Miss Bulma, allow me to escort you."

Bulma gave an internal groan. Mr Doonky owned a medium sized corporation and fancied his business grander than Capsule Corp. He'd been making ridiculous merger offers for the last year. He was also a known womanizer.

She scowled at the man and tried to pull away. "I am perfectly fine on my own Mr Doonky."

He gave her a lecherous grin. "Now, now. A woman like you should always be on the arm of a strong man like me. Why it would be a wonderful thing for both of our companies if we were to marry."

Bulma freed her arm with a hard yank then glared. "I'm a happily married woman with a son. I would thank you to remember that."

The man waved off her protests. "Nonsense. You are never seen with this mystery husband and I heard you ended your relationship with that baseball player, Yamoo, or whatever. I'd be happy to be the manly influence in your son's life as we show him how the rich really live."

Placing both hands on her hips she faced the man. "Now listen here. I was never married to _Yamcha_. I have been married to my son's father for a year and a half and plan on continuing. You're little two bit company doesn't make a percent of the profits that Capsule Corp does in a year so we have no need of you. If the last economic data trend that came out continues, you won't even be in business in the next few years. So take your sleazy insinuations and shove them up your rear. If my husband heard you he'd probably do it for you."

With that said, Bulma turned her back on him and stormed out the entrance. She rubbed her head at the sight. There at the bottom of the steps was a panting officer trying vainly to grab Gohan's wrist. The boy was nimbly evading him while laughing.

She stomped down the steps towards them. "What is going on here?"

The officer stopped running and bent over panting with his hands on his knees. He spoke between breaths when he recognized the woman before him. "I'm sorry for any disturbance. It just I was notified there was a lost child here. I've been trying to convince him to come down to the station with me so that we can try and find his parents.:

Bulma shook her head. "Gohan is not lost or in any danger. It's impossible for him to even be lost. Him being allowed to be alone is a new thing, however."

She gave the boy a look that made him fidget. "What are you doing out in town by yourself?"

Gohan gave her a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head. "Um, hi Aunt Bulma. We're playing training games. I think Raditz finally found me, though."

On cue, the long haired Saiyan dropped from the sky to land in front of the boy, startling the onlookers. "Ha, I found you!"

Bulma pointed an accusing finger at Raditz, causing him to back away from her. "You! What do you think you're doing training in town? You could hurt someone."

Before he could answer, another voice spoke from the air. "There is no fighting for anyone to get hurt in."

Vegeta landed next to the irate woman, his tail swaying lazily. He smirked to himself as the gathered crowd recognized him and cautiously backed away.

Bulma dimly noted that he wore the skin tight battle suit like the others. "You're sure dressed for fighting. I've told you, those aren't appropriate clothes for out in town."

The Prince shrugged. "We were training before and we will be training later. I see no reason waste time and change for a simple tracking exercise."

Poking him in the chest, Bulma narrowed her eyes and continued her rant. "I don't care if you see it as wasting your time. And what are you doing leaving Gohan by himself? He can't even hold a regular cup without breaking it, he could accidentally hurt someone."

Fearful for the life of the blue haired scientist, the policeman attempted to stop her verbal assault on the Saiyan. "Miss Bulma. I must ask you to please stop speaking to him like that. It is very dangerous."

Bulma gave an undignified snort and glared daggers at Vegeta. "I'll talk to my husband however I please. His little threats don't scare me. If he knows what's good for him, he'll take his little minions and their fighting games out of town."

Shocked silence fell over the witnesses to the debacle. The same thought ran through all of their minds. _'This is her husband? The famous Bulma from Capsule Corporation married the alien Prince?'_

Vegeta crossed his arms and leaned in closer to Bulma's face to yell. "Clean out your ears, woman! I told you there was no physical training going on. We're simply teaching Raditz to track specific signatures out of a confusing mass."

Bulma blinked then relaxed her posture. "Oh. Alright then. As long as you're being good and not scaring everyone to death or hurting anyone."

The Prince shook his head in disbelief at the sudden mood change. "The only one scaring anyone is you with all your shouting. Maybe you should learn how not to be terrifying to other humans."

Looking around at their still stunned audience, Bulma clasped her hands together and smiled. "Everything is alright. Why don't all of you go back to what you were doing. I'm sure the Saiyans were just leaving to go traumatize another part of the city."

Resisting the urge to snarl at her, Vegeta lifted off the ground. He motioned to the other Saiyans. "Fine. Kakarot is next to be found and he shouldn't be left unattended much longer. He may find one of those misnamed 'All you can eat' food places and clean it out."

Raditz stood with is eyes closed for a moment and concentrated. Finally he opened them and took to the air. "This way I think."

Vegeta gave a smirk as he followed.

Gohan rushed up to Bulma and gave her a quick hug around the waist before following. "See you later, Aunt Bulma. Don't beat anyone up to much."

As the flyers disappeared in the maze of buildings, Bulma gave a sigh. She turned and walked calmly back into the lobby, ignoring the stares she was receiving. Mr Doonky wisely left her alone now.


	23. Enemy Mine

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Had a long week which included a long car trip. Almost didn't think I'd get this chapter done and out this week but here it is. I thought about splitting this into two chapters, but really couldn't find a good spot so this one is extra long. Maybe it's the length of chapters that's partially been causing me to have a hard time getting them done quickly.*_

 _*Was reading though the manga again. That scene with Vegeta crunching on that dead alien's arm bones inspired one of the bits here. As for everything else; no I am not on any drugs (even though there is an easily accessible pot store not to far away). I blame it on stress.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **"** **word** **"** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 23: Enemy Mine**

Gritting her teeth in exasperation, Bulma pushed past the sea of reporters to get to the waiting car. She very much preferred driving herself, but these days she found that having a car and driver waiting was the best defense against the slew of press. She couldn't wait to get home and to the relative peace of the Capsule Corp compound. Vegeta had finally made good with his threats of retribution when some pompous jerk from a gossip news station had sauntered up to the door demanding to interview the both of them or he'd drag their names through the mud.

Bulma snickered internally at the memory. Extortion just pissed her husband off. That guy was lucky to get out of there with only a broken arm and some bruises. Then, when he tried to press charges, the jerk found out the hard way that King Furry had declared the Briefs' owned lands to be sovereign territory of the Saiyans.

A few others has pushed their luck by breaching the walls, but had been sent on their way with a promise of Saiyan prosecution if they returned.

It had been almost a week ago that everyone found out for certain that she was married to Vegeta. What a time it had been.

(Flashback)

 _There had been a huge uproar in the global press and tabloids. 'Capsule Corp Heiress Weds Alien Prince', 'Who Is REALLY The Father of Bulma's Baby?'_

 _Supposed suitors went on talk shows explaining how it was their rejection of Bulma's affections that forced her to turn to the Saiyan._

 _One lucky newsman even caught Yamcha when he went out drinking at a bar with Tien. Whatever bitterness he still held at not being Bulma's man wasn't in evidence that night. He'd looked straight into the camera and told the world that all the other guys were full of shit. "I'm the only guy that Bulma had dated since she was sixteen. We grew apart over the years. Vegeta may not be a nice person, but he cares for Bulma and is trying to do right by her and his people. He can handle that temper she gets into sometimes better than I ever could. Leave them alone."_

(Flashback end)

Settling into the backseat of the car, Bulma let out a bone weary sigh. "Take me home, Loafer. I thought the press had had enough of me and my love life. I'm done dealing with them for today at least."

The grey haired driver gave her a nod and carefully maneuvered though the crowd and away from the scene. He grabbed a paper that was carefully folded up beside him and handed into the back seat. "I believe this is the issue, Ma'am."

Bulma unfolded the paper, _Global Ledger_ , and read the headline. Her face flushed red in anger and she had to bite back a scream. Spitting fury, she read aloud. " 'Sleeping Your Way To Success - How Bulma traded sex to aliens for technology. Mr Doonky of Equus Corp explains how in a desperate bid to keep him from doing a take over of Capsule Corp, the Company's heiress sold her self to a Galactic Overload in exchange for technology. Mr Doonky is quoted as saying, "It's really shameful on her part. She's offering up Earth on a silver platter to these beings and we have had no say in it." When asked if he was aware of the global espionage, King Furry had this to say, "Jealousy and an overactive imagination on one person's part does not make sedition on another's." When asked to clarify, King Furry declined more comment."

Bulma threw down the paper in a huff. "Well at least King Furry saw right through that bastard. I would just let Vegeta take care of him permanently, but that would make his words look true now."

Loafer looked back at his employer through the mirror. "Missus Bulma, aren't you still friends with that anchorwoman over at Channel 6 News? I do believe I remember you and her used to be fairly close. Perhaps she would be willing do a counter article for you on the local news?"

Bulma gave the elder man a huge smile. He'd been working for her father for over thirty years and was almost an uncle to her. "You mean Camisole? She's actually my cousin. Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Loafer! I have all those financial trackers and the reports from failed Equus espionage attempts at other companies as well as Capsule Corp. That company probably won't make it through the next six months. And Doonky is like a rat trying to save his sinking ship full of food any way he can."

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through it searching for a number. Pressing send she held it to her ear and waited. It was answered on the third ring. "Hey, Cami! It's Bulma! Yeah, I saw that paper. Yeah, that is partly why I called you. I need you to do me a big favor. You will? Great! I'll meet you this afternoon at that little sandwich shop we always go to. I have some stuff for you."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma had set up a television in the kitchen and had it tuned to Channel Six. Her parents and Krillin watched her curiously as she picked at her food throughout dinner. She kept staring at the clock, then the TV. The Saiyans ate on oblivious to all but the food around them.

Dr Briefs set down his fork and gave his daughter his full attention. "What's wrong with you dear? You're the one who said watching TV while eating was bad for us. Now you have a set in here and and aren't even actually eating. Does this have anything to do with that newspaper from this morning?"

The clock ticked over to 8:00pm and Bulma waved off her father. "Shush! I want to hear this!"

She turned up the volume enough to drown out the feeding frenzy as the News splash screen came on.

A blonde woman smiled at the camera. "Welcome to Channel Six Evening News, I am your lead anchor, Camisole. In our top story for tonight, the Tech and Business world is abuzz with accusations labeled at Capsule Corp and it's Heiress by Mr Doonky and Equus Corp. Right now in my hands I hold the real picture behind those words. Corporate Espionage, Slander, Extortion, and Threats. All this and more are at play in this little drama. And it is all on the part of Equus Corporation. I have here documentation going back for the past three years showing underhanded dealings and even ties to the Mob. Just light digging through the police files and public records paints a very different picture of Mr Doonky than he wants the world to see. A womanizer with a failing business and mountains of debt from lavish living who is desperately trying to save his cash cow. A man who has resorted to telling lies in the hopes that his business competitors will find fighting him too much of a headache and just pay him to go away. Now we are going live to Ms Locket on the scene at the Equus Corp Main Office as Government Auditors are seizing records."

It was dead quiet in the kitchen as Bulma turned off the television. Even the Saiyans had paused in their eating.

Wide eyed, Bulma swallowed hard. "Wow, Cami goes all out when she has her mind set on something. I just was hoping to set the record straight and force a retraction of that stupid article in the paper. I'm tired of all this made up scandal crap."

Dr Briefs chuckled dryly. "Well Camisole is my niece dear. Our family is well known for it's tenacity and fire. If Doonky was behind all of the issues we've been having lately, I don't think that's going to be a problem anymore."

Vegeta swallowed the bite of food in his mouth. "Isn't Doonky that jackass who you told me kept trying to seduce you? You should have just let me kill him. Some deaths are worth the consequences in the afterlife."

Bulma reached over and slapped him in the arm. "NO! He's not worth it, or your time. He's been taken care of. You're worth more than ten of him personality wise as well."

Krillin had just started taking a swallow of his drink and began to choke. Raditz held a hand to his mouth, trying not to laugh. Mrs Briefs let out a small titter. Gohan lifted his cup to his face to hide his smile.

Goku tilted his head to the side and looked at them oddly. "I can't imagine anyone being ten times worse than Vegeta."

Gaining his breath, Krillin fell to the floor coughing and laughing.

Vegeta scowled at all of them. "I have the personality of a King! You should all be groveling at my feet. At least Baldy there is almost in the right position."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Raditz yawned as he wandered down into the kitchen. The delicious scent of baking bread met his nose as he entered the room and slumped down in a chair. He took a deep sniff and smiled at the blonde woman prepping things on the counter. A good cook like her was priceless. "Panchy, you are the most wonderful person and you cook like a goddess."

The elder Briefs woman returned his smile. "Why thank you, Raditz. You're such a polite young man."

Finishing up what she was doing, she turned around and deposited a large baby bottle in the Saiyan's hands. He looked at it in confusion as she moved towards the baby carrier and scooped Goten out. Turning back to the Saiyan, she placed the baby in his arms. "Here, feed your nephew so I can cook. Goku has been good about helping with him in the mornings, but he's upstairs taking care of Trunks at the moment."

Raditz shrugged one shoulder before obeying.

Just then Goku walked in with Trunks in the crook of his arm. He clapped his brother on the shoulder before heading to the fridge. Rummaging around he pulled out a carrot and handed it to the baby he was carrying.

Panchy gave him a horrified expression and moved to take the carrot. "Goku! You can't give a baby something like that! He might break off a piece and choke!"

Vegeta gave a snort as he sauntered into the kitchen. "It's highly unlikely for a Saiyan baby to choke. Remember our throats open wider than a human's so that we can eat more food quickly."

He gave the offending carrot a look of distaste. "Though vegetation is hardly appropriate, especially for one of royal blood. The boy needs a good bone to work his new teeth on. Gives him extra calcium and minerals as well."

The Prince looked at Mrs Briefs quizzically. "Haven't you noticed that all the Saiyans here eat the bones when you cook something with them in it? I know you're much more observant than you let on."

The blonde woman just gave him a wide smile. "I didn't think much of it. Goku has always done that. None of you are babies, though. I didn't know it was something you needed."

The Prince pushed past Goku and opened the fridge to pulled out a package he'd stashed in the back corner. Removing something, he returned the package. Turning to Trunks, he waved a raw bone in front of the boy just out of reach.

Trunks dropped the carrot he had been gnawing on and reached out with both arms, opening and closing both hands rapidly. The boy grunted in frustration and squirmed to get closer.

Vegeta kept the bone just out of his reach. "You have to speak if you want it, boy."

The baby whined in irritation. Finally he hung limply on Goku's arm while still reaching one chubby hand out. He whimpered at his father before screwing up his face. "Papa give. **Give me.** "

The bone was instantly put in Trunks' hands, much to the delight of the child.

Mrs Briefs squealed in delight. "Oh my! He said his first words! This is wonderful!"

The Prince shook his head as he took his son from Goku. "He's been speaking words for a while. I teach him whenever I watch him. He must just not say them around you. Saiyan brains are wired to learn very quickly."

Goku was nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah. Gohan was reading really well by two and had passed me in the maths he knew before age four."

Stroking Trunks' wispy lavender hair, the woman grinned. "Well I think little Trunks is doing wonderful. I just wish he'd share some of his vocabulary with the rest of us."

Goku stood staring off lost in thought for a moment. "Grandpa Gohan tried to teach me when I was little, but he didn't have the best education himself to work off of. Master Roshi insisted on schooling every day when I trained under him, even though I wanted to learn fighting more than books then. Kami taught me a lot more, but I'll never get anywhere near Gohan."

Gazing at Trunks, Goku's brows furrowed. "I'm not sure if either Trunks or Goten will get near Gohan's level, either. Gohan always has been almost a little too quick on learning. And you can feel that he has hidden combat potential. It's like there is this deep well in him that he has only just pulled a little from. Even when he's a Super Saiyan you can feel it. Like there is something more he could reach if he just knew how to unlock it."

Krillin had staggered into the kitchen during their conversation. "When we saw Guru on planet Namek, he unlocked both of our hidden potentials. He said that he was only able to unlock a small portion of Gohan's. That boy's hidden potential is huge."

Vegeta frowned in concentration. "We need to push him and see if he can realize more of his power. We very well may need it in the coming battle. I don't want to break him by forcing him too fast too soon, but there is so much at stake. The entire future of our race as well as this planet hang in the balance."

"I think he can handle it just fine." Raditz called softly from his seat. "That boy has been through too much and is still holding out strong. Hell, as an untrained whelp he kicked my ass when he got angry."

Goku crossed his arms and chuckled. "He was helping kick Vegeta's ass as well and had only been training with Piccolo for six months at that point."

The Prince's face went carefully blank as he looked between the other warriors. "He had only been training six months at that point? I want to be so disgusted that he was able to hurt me, but I feel proud of the boy."

A small voice gloated from the doorway. "I may not be quite a strong as you and Daddy, but I can still get a hit in on you Uncle."

Gohan yawned and plopped down in a chair. He watched Vegeta with bright eyes. "Mr Piccolo said he wants to work with me on meditation this afternoon. He said that you had some special training for everyone this morning, Uncle."

The Saiyan Prince smirked. "Oh yes. We will be working on something good."

He reached out and grabbed Goku's upper arm. "Kakarot here is going to start teaching all of us his little instant transmission trick."

Dropping his arms and hanging his head, Goku gave a resigned sigh. "But it's really hard to learn and I'm not sure I can teach it that well."

Vegeta's gaze hardened on him. "You're not getting out of this. That's to useful of a technique for you to keep it to yourself.

Goku gave another sigh. "Fine, but it will take a few months to master it."

The Prince nodded in acceptance. "That's fine. We still have plenty of time."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

After a grueling morning of concentration and attempts to move themselves through space, the group had sat down to a quiet lunch. There was little speaking even as they finished the meal.

Gohan stretched and slid off his chair. "I've got a little bit before my lessons with Mr Piccolo. I'm going to take a nap."

Vegeta grunted acknowledgement and Goku reached out to scruff through his son's hair. "That's fine. We're going to be in the Gravity Room for a while."

The sated fighters thanked Mrs Briefs for the meal and made their way to the door.

Stepping back out of the house, Vegeta led the small group to the Gravity Room to stretch out their stiff muscles and take their weary minds off of the morning's lessons.

He raised an eyebrow at the two figures waiting at the entrance. Yamcha and Tien turned to look at the Prince as he spoke. "So you've gotten over your temper tantrum and have come back. I see you've brought a friend as well."

Yamcha scratched his head nervously. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't get upset about it anymore, but I can't help it sometimes. I met up with Tien and we'd been training together."

Tien eyed the Saiyan Prince suspiciously. "Yamcha said you've been a good and fair trainer. I was wondering if I might join you?"

Goku stepped up and clapped his friend on the back. "Sure Tien! We're trying to get everyone as strong as we can. Don't want anyone dying to the androids."

Tien's eyes never left Vegeta's.

The Prince smirked. "Fine. If you want to learn how to be a real warrior, you're going to have to push yourself beyond your human limits. I don't go easy on anyone."

Raditz crossed his arms and grumbled. "No shit. You're more like a slave driver."

Goku laughed at his brother's over acting before a thought went through his head. He turned back to the three eyed warrior. "Oh, Tien. I almost forgot. I'd like to introduce you to my older brother Raditz."

Tien gave the tall Saiyan a wary nod.

Raditz sized up the human and attempted to gauge his power level. "So you're Tien. Kakarot has mentioned you before."

Vegeta gave a impatient grunt, drawing their attention to him. "That's enough introductions. I know Raditz needs some more pain, as probably do the rest of you humans. Now hurry up and get inside. You have a long ways to go before you even catch up to Krillin."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

On a dusty planet, orbiting a brown dwarf sun, chaos reigned. Destruction was everywhere. The smoldering remains of cities collapsed and crumbled into ashes. The cries of the dying grew weak and finally ceased.

A tall, rotund male stood menacingly over cowering figures in white and black uniforms. He wore a sinister smile on his yellow face that promised pain and anguish to the fallen. Around him, his legion of minions converged in a circle around the broken bodies.

His smile grew wider, showcasing crooked teeth. "Looky here boys. A few of them have managed to survive. Well now, we can't have that, can we?"

Laughter cackled from the figure to his left. Green lips parted in an evil smirk. "Of course not, Boss. These Galactic Patrolmen are like cockroaches. No matter how many we kill, more keep coming. It's like they don't understand that they are going up against the forces of the great Emperor Noni. You're the most powerful being in the universe."

The yellow skinned Noni raised a hand and gripped his chin in thought. "I do believe you are right, Bodark. Maybe we need to send them a message. How many does it take to fly one of those ships they came in?"

Bodark was lost in thought for a moment. "That size and class, I'd guess two."

He scanned the beings before him and pointed at two of them. "Very well. Take these two insects to a ship. I have a message for them to deliver."

Noni stepped up to one of the Patrolmen and hoisted him face to face by his collar. Spittle marked the quivering prisoner's face as he spoke. "Tell your leader to disband or swear his fealty to me. I've consumed my brothers and gained their power. Not even Frieza himself could stand up to the likes of me, and from rumors I've heard, he's dead."

He threw the male at the feet of Bodark. "All of you, take my little messengers and go."

Bodark gave a slight bow and grabbed the being at his feet and motioned for the other one to be carried. "You heard the Boss, men. Let's go."

As his underlings vacated the area, Noni gave the remaining Patrolmen a grim smirk. He raised his hand and gathered his chi. "As for the rest of you. Time to die."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The Galactic King stood regally on his many tentacles in his audience chamber, conversing with several of his advisors on current issues. There was small murmurings of voices from outside the closed doors of the rooms. He turned and watched as said doors were slowly opened.

A tall officer strode into the chambers with purpose and gave the regent a bow. "Your Galactic Highness, two Patrolmen from the Lens Squad have returned. They are in pretty bad shape and say they are the only survivors. They have requested to speak with you sir."

The King rubbed an appendage over his brow. "That's the sixth squad we've lost in the last year and seven inhabited planets have been overrun. We can't keep this up. The losses in our force are too heavy to replace that quickly."

The regal being waved a tentacle at the underling. "Bring in the two Patrolmen. Maybe they can enlighten me on what we are dealing with."

With another bow, the officer left to retrieve his fellows.

After a very somber meeting, the King stood deep in though and tapped two of his tentacles together. He looked over at one of his advisors. "Those rumors that Frieza was killed, have we ascertained if they were true or not?"

The advisor gave a nod of his head. "Yes. Even our spies in the PTO were easily able to verify it on their end. Frieza was solidly defeated on planet Namek. He barely made it out alive. After surgeries, him and his father set out to gain revenge on the individual responsible. They met their demise on a planet called Earth."

The King tapped his tentacles again. "Very good. Isn't Earth supposed to be under the surveillance of that klutz, Jaco? Doesn't he know several of those Earthlings?"

He received a nod of confirmation, then continued. "If I remember correctly, it's a developing planet with a weak race. I wonder how they managed to kill off one of Frieza's power. No matter. We will send a group to seek out this hero. Jaco has contacts on Earth. That Tights girl he brings around to the various planets from time to time is from there I believe. Send them and a small group from Igneous Squad. The squad leader, Arachis, can be in charge of this delegation since we don't dare leave something so important up to Jaco. Send Arachis to me before they depart. I have special orders for him in case enticement is needed to gain the needed help."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Nine long months of training came and went. Children grew and birthdays passed.

The group of Earth's defenders stood outside of the Gravity Room waiting patiently for Vegeta to arrive. Yamcha was in a debate with Krillin and Tien. Piccolo sat floating in an attempt to get some meditation in.

Goku stood watching as Raditz swung Gohan back and forth with his tail. He smiled at his brother. "I can't believe Vegeta let you get away with not training your tail for so long. Isn't it much nicer now that it doesn't cause you paralyzing pain?"

Raditz shot him a nasty look. "The tail training was some of the worst pain I've ever been through. It's all your fault too. I was perfectly happy until you grabbed my tail during that spar."

Scratching the back of his head, Goku laughed. "Well everything is good now. And it looks like Gohan has a tight enough grip on your tail that if you needed more work, you'd be on the ground."

Raditz crossed his arms impatiently. "Where is Vegeta anyway? He's always on time for training."

Gohan let go of the tail mid swing and flipped to land on his feet. He put two fingers to his forehead. "I'll get him. I need to practice instant transmission more anyway."

He concentrated for a second and was gone before his father could finishing reaching out to stop him. "No! Gohan wait!"

Goku sighed. "I don't think this is going end well. I learned the hard way not to ever teleport to Vegeta."

Gohan reappeared in what he recognized as Bulma's lab. He started speaking as he looked around for Vegeta. "Hey Uncle! You're late for training!"

His eyes grew impossibly wide as he spied Bulma with her arms wrapped around Vegeta as the Prince slowly kissed her neck in time to his movements.

The boy squeaked and covered his eyes while turning around. "I didn't need to see that! That's worse than all the noise!"

Bulma let out an exasperated shriek. "Gohan! The door was locked for a reason!"

Vegeta grunted at the boy without turning towards him. "Brat, get out of here. Now!"

Gohan concentrated on his father's chi and vanished.

When Gohan suddenly appeared before the warriors with his eyes still covered, Goku reached out for him gently. "Are you alright Gohan? Is there something wrong with your eyes?"

The boy shook his head as if trying to dislodge something. "I'm NEVER teleporting to Uncle Vegeta if he's near Aunt Bulma again! There are some things you just can't unsee!"

Goku gave his son a sympathetic chuckle. "Yeah, I made that mistake once, too. I did try to stop you but you took off to fast."

Gohan shuddered as he uncovered his eyes and looked up at his father.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Panchy was outside in her garden happily humming a tune as she pulled out weeds. As she kneeled there on her knees, a rumbling started in the sky above, gradually growing louder. When a breeze picked up blowing at her hair, she finally looked up in time to watch a spaceship land in the yard just beyond her plants. The markings on the ship were oddly familiar.

Standing up she dusted off her legs and went to greet the new guests.

As the ramp dropped down, her smile widened into one of great joy as a blonde haired woman with familiar features stepped out of the ship followed by several others.

Mrs Briefs couldn't hold herself still and flung herself at the woman from the ship as soon as her feet touched the ground. "Oh Tights! It's been to long! You really must come visit your family more often."

The woman identified as Tights smiled and hugged Mrs Briefs close. "I'm sorry, Mom. You know how it gets. All the new and exciting stuff to see and do in space. I'm always busy travelling, and when I am on Earth I'm working on my novels."

Holding out her daughter from her with both hands, Mrs Briefs examined her. "Look at you. Always in such good shape."

She frowned as a thought crossed her mind. "But you're getting older. When are you going to get married and give me some grandchildren?"

Tights laughed and patted her mother's shoulder. "Well I might eventually find someone I want to spend my life with, but I'm never around other humans much and since species can't cross there probably won't be any kids in my future. Why don't you get on Bulma for some babies? She's younger and was dating that baseball player last I talked to her."

Mrs Briefs frowned. "I'm concerned about you. I want you to have someone you can depend on. I don't have to worry about Bulma. She's married and has already given me an adorable grandson. So has your adopted brother that you've never come to meet."

The older woman's brows tightened as she looked deep in thought. "I don't have any issue with you marrying an alien, but I don't see why that would stop you from having children. All of my grand babies have alien fathers."

Another laugh came from Tights. "Really, Mom? They must be pulling your leg about being aliens."

Shrugging off the comment, Mrs Briefs chose to drop the subject. She took a few steps away from her daughter and motioned the group towards the house. "Well anyway, how about I make everyone some refreshments. It must have been a long travel. My boys have always been starved when they got back from space."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma stood up from her chair and looked over at Gohan draped across the couch. "Stop moping about them leaving you here today. They will be back before you know it. Vegeta could have punished you far worse for teleporting in on us. I swear you monkeys aren't happy unless you're fighting or eating."

She tilted her head as if listening for something. "Now, do you know where your Grandmother is?"

The boy rolled his head in her direction. "Yeah, she went out to work on her garden a little bit ago."

Bulma gave his foot a tweak then turned. "Thanks, kiddo. Maybe you should come outside and get some fresh air as well."

Carrying little Goten on her hip with the baby's tail wrapped securely around her arm, Bulma made her way out of the house in search of her mother. She looked behind her at the lavender haired toddler who was attempting to hide around the corner. "Come on Trunks. Let's go find Grandma. I'll play hide and seek with you later, I promise."

Shielding her eyes from the bright sun, she looked in surprise at the figures in uniform that her mother was entertaining. "Oh I didn't know we had guests."

Bulma's face lit up with a smile when she saw the blond haired female who looked so much like her mother. She rushed up to give the woman a one armed hug. "Tights! It's been so long since we've seen you! You barely write us and hardly ever call!"

Tights squeezed her back. "Oh Bulma, you've grown up so much since the last time we met. Last I saw you in person, you were going off on an adventure in search of some wish granting orbs."

Mrs Briefs gave a happy sigh as she reminisced about the past. "Oh yes, I remember then. It doesn't seem like it was very long ago that she went off. Then when she came back she brought the cutest little boy with her that we ended up adopting. Our Goku has grown up so handsome and strong now."

Bulma gave a nervous chuckle then tried to change the subject. "Well I was young and off chasing fairy tales."

Glancing at the Patrolmen she gave a wave. "Hey Jaco. It's been a long time. What brings you all here anyway?"

The small Patrolman gave her a pose, causing the other officers to snicker. "I, the great Jaco, was given a very important mission."

He dropped out of the amusing stance. "There is an issue with a powerful, evil foe taking over portions of the galaxy. We heard a rumor that Frieza was badly beaten on planet Namek and then killed here on Earth, so we are looking for the person who did it. I did however, tell them this was likely a waste of time since the people of Earth are so weak."

Tights rolled her eyes and slapped Jaco in the shoulder. "I'll show you weak."

She turned back to her sister. "I remembered how both you and Mom have talked about knowing a bunch of strong martial artists in your letters and calls, so I figured you might have an idea of someone who knows what happened."

Bulma shared a guarded look with her mother. "I may know someone, but I'll have to ask if they are willing to talk to you."

The squad leader, Arachis, gave an irritated grunt and took an aggressive stance. "There is no IF Earth woman. You will take us to this person now or else."

Bulma narrowed her eyes in anger. "Now see here. You're in no position to be making any threats. The person responsible for killing Frieza can be rather temperamental so it's a really big IF on him agreeing to do anything."

As Arachis raised a fist and took a step towards Bulma, a small lavender blur rushed from out of the house and latched on to her leg. "Mama! Mama! Hide me! Gohan's going to find me!"

Several sharp inhalations of breath caused Bulma to look back towards the Patrolmen. She followed their gaze as they stared at the tail on her son. She grabbed Trunk's hand and pulled him protectively behind her.

Jaco was the first to compose himself as dislike twisted his features. "It's a Saiyan child! How are they breeding?!"

Another Patrolman shook his head and stared at the boy. "It doesn't matter. We just kill it.

Mrs Briefs rushed over and picked up Trunks. "No! You leave my grandson alone!"

With the scent of fear coming off his grandmother and aunt, Goten began to cry. His tail stuck straight out and frizzed up.

Jaco's eyes seemed to widen even more. "Another one!"

Arachis pulled out his blaster and pointed it at the child. "I'm sorry but we have to get rid of them. It's for the good of the galaxy."

"You leave them alone!" The voice came from the direction of the house and dripped venom and a promise of death. Suddenly, Gohan was in front of the squad leader swinging his fist forward into his stomach. Arachis dropped his blaster and doubled over in pain.

All eyes turned to see a tensed Gohan. Jaco's eyes widened in recognition. "Hey. I remember you. I talked to you and your uncle Briefs one time back on Druax."

Gohan lifted his lips in a snarl, his tail lashed angrily behind him. "YOU! I hate you! You're the one who wanted to kill my Daddy when he was a baby! Now you want to hurt my brother and cousin!"

With a shout Gohan shoved his chi up. As his hair and fur flashed to gold and his eyes turned teal, he launched himself as the stunned Patrolman.

Jaco barely dodged as Gohan's fist cratered into the ground where he had been, the force of the blow shoving those nearby backwards several feet. Gohan turned and leapt for him again.

One of the Patrolmen pulled out a small machine and turned it on to get a reading on the boy's power level. Numbers flashed upwards for a second before the device exploded. Staring at the electrical remains in fear, the rest of the squad took several steps back from the enraged child.

The Saiyan child kicked Jaco in the face, sending the male tumbling. Lifting into the air, the boy dove at him again. Gohan's fist was a split second from impact when his arm was grabbed and he was hauled back into the air, away from his victim. Twisting he kicked out at his captor. Goku caught the foot in his other hand and pulled his son to his chest. "Gohan, control your rage. This isn't you."

The boy looked up into his father's teal eyes and relaxed into his hold. Turning his head to watch a bloodied Jaco, he seethed. "He wanted to kill you as baby. He bragged about it when we met him in space. Then him and his friends come here and they tried to hurt Goten and Trunks."

Goku frowned and looked down at Jaco. "Why would you do something like that to a baby?"

"Because they are Galactic Patrol." Vegeta landed softly in front of Bulma and Panchy, shielding them from the Patrolmen with his body. "They like to play judge, jury, and executioner to other races they feel don't deserve to live. They use their little extinction bombs, when they are too lazy. Then they use the guise of justice to validate the destruction. They are worse than Frieza in that regard. He didn't try to justify why you were being killed, he just had it done and sold off your planet. Unfortunately for the Patrol, we Saiyans are immune to their little bomb and have been a thorn in their side."

He glared down at the crumpled Patrol leader. "Now as much as I'd like to just let the boy relieve his anger, I want to know why the hell the Galactic Patrol is on this planet."

Jaco sat up wiping the blood from his lip and touching the orbit around his eye. He stared at the short Saiyan for a moment. "You were the one with the boy. You're name is Briefs."

The Saiyan lifted his lip in a sneer, his tail flicking. "Of course I told you that. We were incognito and on a mission. Now I demand that you call me by my proper name and title, Vegeta the Prince of all Saiyans."

A few of the Patrolmen gave a whimper at his declaration and turned to flee, only to stop at the sight of Raditz landing behind them. The long haired Saiyan crossed his arms and glared menacingly. "I see that Vegeta's reputation still precedes him."

Tights moved towards her mother and sister in fear, hoping to get them out of harms way. "Don't worry, Mom, they are trained Patrolmen and will protect us from the Saiyans."

Vegeta raised a hand towards her, chi gathering rapidly. "Get the hell away from them or I'll kill you."

Tights froze at the threat.

Bulma stepped up to Vegeta and put a hand on his arm. Tights screamed out to her sister. "No, Bulma don't! He'll kill you!"

The blue haired woman shook her head, then looked the Saiyan in the eyes. "Vegeta, stop. Tights is my sister. I'd rather she stayed alive."

The Prince looked at her and reluctantly let the energy dissipate. "Fine, have it your way, but I know you're not related to the rest of them. They shouldn't have come here."

She kept her hand on his arm. "Before they started making threats, they said there were here about Frieza being killed."

Vegeta gave a snort. "He's dead and rotting in hell. I'd love to kill him again just for more satisfaction."

A squeak of disbelief came from Arachis. "You killed Frieza? I thought you Saiyans worked for him."

Eyes narrowing, the Prince scowled. "Yes, I killed Frieza. That asshole slaughtered my race and enslaved the few of us who survived. Who would willingly work for him?"

He gave Goku a sideways glance. "I wouldn't have had the pleasure of the kill, but **someone** didn't finish that bastard off on Namek when he had the chance."

Goku gave him a sheepish look. "Hey, I thought he did die when the planet exploded. I almost didn't make it."

The Prince shrugged. "Whatever. Frieza made the mistake of coming here, so we killed him and his father."

He resumed staring at the Patrolmen. "Now tell me, why I shouldn't just kill all of you and ensure that this planet is safe?"

Pulling himself straight, Arachis took a tentative step forward. "I'm sorry. We didn't come here expecting Saiyans, and we have basic standing orders to deal with any Saiyans we do come across if the opportunity presents itself. However, the Galactic King was very adamant that we bring back the person who killed Frieza at any cost. A tyrant has been systematically conquering planets and either killing or enslaving their inhabitants. You're aid as Frieza's killer would be invaluable."

Vegeta looked unimpressed with the speech. "Why should I help you? You came here and tried to harm my son and nephew."

The Patrolman swallowed back his fear. "Please, the situation is dire. I was instructed to offer whatever was necessary as payment in return for aid."

That caused the Prince to cock his head in interest. "Anything?"

A tentative nod was his answer. Vegeta gazed around at his allies and kin. "I want absolution for the Saiyan race for past transgressions. Give us a clean slate for going forward."

Arachis gaped at him with wide eyes. "I can't guarantee that! Do you now how much destruction your race has left in its wake?"

Vegeta turned his back on him. "That's my condition. Take it or leave it. I'll even be merciful and allow you to leave here alive, as long as this planet is left alone by the Patrol."

Arachis looked to his brethren for help. One of them spoke up. "You can't be seriously considering this. The Galactic King would never allow such a thing!"

The squad leader eyed him coldly. "My family was on the last planet that Noni conquered. I'm not likely to ever see them again even if they did manage to survive. We lost an entire squad of twenty trying to save that planet, but he brushed us off like insects. The Saiyan is actually asking for surprisingly little and not for any material gain. I'm certain that the King will accept."

Raditz looked across the group of Patrolmen to his Prince. "Hey, Vegeta. Wasn't Noni one of Frieza's head goons? An arrogant sack of shit that liked to eat people alive?"

Vegeta turned to him and nodded. "Yes. He's a bloated bag of cruelty and sadism. Had a hobby of hunting down his own kind. They gain power by eating each other."

Bulma blanched at his words. "Do you really think you can defeat him? I don't want you going off and getting yourself killed. I'm worried enough with the androids coming."

To the Patrol and Tights' utter surprise, the Prince reached out a hand and laid it on her cheek. "I have to come back and keep everyone safe, so I won't take any chances. He may have gotten strong enough to be difficult for one Saiyan, but can he deal with all of us attacking in unison?"

She looked at him with a bit of fear. "You're taking all of our protection?"

Vegeta gave a snort and motioned upwards, drawing attention to the humans and Namekian descending from the sky. "I doubt that Piccolo will want to come with us, and he likes to hang out in that garden your mother made for him, so he will be close if anything happens. Krillin has been more than willing to step up as protector when needed. I'll leave him in charge. The others are very capable fighters as well. If anything goes horribly wrong, you can wish us back here."

Arachis looked at the Prince hopefully. "So you'll help?"

Vegeta gave a nod. "Yes. I'd rather take Noni out somewhere else than wait for him to come to this planet and cause unnecessary destruction."

Arachis picked up his gun and holstered it. "Great! We need to leave right away. It takes a couple weeks to get back to the base. Things might be a bit tight on the ship, depending on how many you are bringing."

Vegeta met the gazes of the other Saiyans one at a time. They each nodded. He turned back to the squad leader. "The four of us are going. Don't worry about accommodations. We'll take our own ship so we can continue our training instead of wasting the time."

Bulma smacked him in the arm. "Hey! I just helped Dad upgrade those engines in that ship last week. I don't need you taking off somewhere in it. You and Goku have a bad habit of not bringing our ships back."

He scoffed at her remark. "It is hardly my fault that the boy and I were attacked and gassed on the ship. I have no idea what happened to it. It wasn't anywhere on that PTO mining planet of Rambutan's or we'd have come home in it instead of waiting for you to wish us back."

A loud gasp of surprise from one of the Patrolmen drew their attention. He rushed forward and dropped to his knees before Vegeta. "You're the one who freed us all on that hell hole. I thought you looked familiar. I knew it was Saiyans but with your reputation I was afraid to come near you other than when you took off everyone's chains. Then you just disappeared before the Galactic Patrol came and rescued us from the planet. Filbert made us swear to never mention you and the boy no matter what. Most of us who were rescued joined the Patrol. I just want to be able to finally say thank you."

Vegeta looked uncomfortable at the praise.

Sensing the perfect time to break the tension, Mrs Briefs let go of Trunks and clapped her hands together. "Well since we are all on friendlier terms now, how about I make us something to eat. Tights you can help me get some drinks while Bulma takes care of the boys."

She grabbed her blonde daughter's arm and pulled her towards the house.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The two groups sat in the rarely used formal dining room of Capsule Corp sipping at their drinks and eating the food provided. The Patrolmen were gathered at one end of the big table and nervously looked between each other and their beverages, not sure what to say as they tried to ignore the carnage taking place opposite of them.

The Earth defenders sat at the other end of the table, hashing out plans and duties for the upcoming space trip the Saiyans were undertaking. Well the humans and Namekian worked on the plans mostly. The Saiyans engaged in their normal feeding frenzy.

Bulma had distracted Trunks and Goten with large stacks of kid sized finger foods while she and her mother caught up with her sister.

Tights kept glancing towards the spectacle that was Saiyans and their food while she talked with her mother and sister.

Finally, after taking a deep breath, Tights faced Bulma and spoke the biggest questions on her mind. "Did you really marry that Saiyan and have his baby?"

Bulma shook her head at the disbelief she could hear in Tights' voice. "Yes, I married Vegeta. He's really not that bad. Yes, Trunks is our son. He's about eighteen months old now."

Tights rubbed her temple with her fingers. "Don't you know what Saiyans are like? I've heard stories in my travels."

Bulma couldn't help the snort that she gave. "I know way more truth about the Saiyans than anyone in the little space police force you hang out with. I know all about the bloody things they did in their past under Frieza. I knew what I was getting in to before I got involved with Vegeta. He didn't come to Earth with the nicest of intentions the first time. After the fight on Namek when we all came back to Earth, things changed. He was free from Frieza. Then he rescued Gohan and tried his best to change. He still has a nasty temper, but doesn't kill and then ask questions anymore."

Listening in on the conversation, Vegeta looked over at the women. He caught Mrs Briefs eye before he spoke. **"Direct the conversation away from me. I don't want anyone I don't fully trust to know much about Saiyans, especially me."**

Giving the Prince a nod, Mrs Briefs smiled at Tights and grabbed her hand. "Why don't you tell us what you've been doing dear? I so very much want to hear about your adventures."

Bulma frowned, knowing that Vegeta had said something to her mother. She was irritated that he still hadn't taken the time to teach her Saiyago when he was obviously teaching it to Trunks. Her mother couldn't speak the words so she was no good for teaching it to her. She sighed as her mother expertly lead the conversation away from anything Saiyan. _'I guess he wanted Mom to distract her from her questioning. I can't blame him if he thinks there might be a danger to the kids.'_

As the meal came to an end, Vegeta stood up and addressed the Patrolmen at the other end of the table. "We shall prep for the trip tonight. If everything goes right, we can leave some time tomorrow."


	24. Ground Control

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*I'm not dead. My computer is, but I'm fine. No computer means no way to write, but I'll get it done.*_

 **Chapter 24: Ground Control**

Gohan sat on the roof, concealing himself in the shadows where one dome met the larger main dome of the building. The tip of his tail twitched in irritation as he watched the Galactic Patrol squad move in and out of their craft. A small growl rumbled up from his chest.

Booted feet touched down beside him, causing the boy to glance over and meet the gaze of Vegeta. Instantly the boy's demeanor changed as he smiled happily up at the male.

The Saiyan Prince gave a grunt and sat cross legged beside the child. He followed the boy's previous line of sight for a moment before studying the child himself. "What's gotten into you, boy? You used to be so welcoming of meeting new peoples like your father. Now you're starting to act more like me."

Gohan's face fell and he shrugged his shoulders before turning away. "I'm not sure. I just feel so angry at them. Even after Bulma explained at lunch some of the stuff from when she met Jaco as a kid. It's just...I don't know. I don't think I can ever trust him. When we met him in space and he was bragging so much about how he wanted to kill Daddy so long ago, I just wanted to hurt him then."

Vegeta let out a snort of derision. "Have you watched him? He's a dancing clown that thinks too highly of himself. I don't think you should take him very seriously. It doesn't seem like his own teammates do either. "

He rubbed his hand through the front of his hair for a moment before speaking again. "Listen closely because it's hard for me to admit this. Your father doesn't hold people's pasts against them. That's one of his strengths. Perhaps it's best to try and be like him a bit more in that aspect. I wouldn't be here if he wasn't such a firm believer in second chances. That doesn't mean you have to be friends with them, just tolerate their continued existence."

Gohan rubbed his toes against the curve of the roof. "They don't seem to be very nice people overall with everything you told us about them."

A smirk twitched at the older Saiyan's lips. "Neither was I. Neither was Piccolo for that matter with the stories that I've heard. He wanted to rule the planet. It's taken a conscious decision and effort on both of our parts to change."

He flicked his tail to point at the ship below them. "Those people down there have only heard horror stories about Saiyans and were doing what they had always been told to do. Remember that you're the nightmare fuel that their mothers used to make them behave as children. Don't prove the stories that they have been told to be true. We all know that you are good inside. When you're out there on the battlefield you're fighting for your friends, your family, and your planet. Live up to that and prove them wrong by letting your first impressions of them pass. You don't have to like them."

Pulling his knees up to his chest, Gohan rested his head on one of them. "I'll try, Uncle. I just wish I could be more like Daddy sometimes. I don't think he ever feels angry like this."

The Prince laid an hand on the boy's head for a moment. "Oh he definitely feels anger sometimes. I'm just rubbing off on to you, even more so since the last time you almost died. We Saiyans can shrug off the physical pain, but the right mental pain changes us. From what I understand, Kakarot had a more happy childhood and youth. All you can do is just try and be who you want to be and not anyone else."

Gohan smiled brightly up at the other Saiyan. "I'll try my best, Uncle. I always feel better after talking to you."

Vegeta pulled Gohan closer to his side with his tail. Together they sat watching the Patrolmen bustle about from their hidden alcove.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

As the afternoon wore into evening, the various people began to assemble in living room to await dinner.

Easing himself onto the couch, Yamcha couldn't help but laugh as he watched Raditz sitting on the floor with the two babies using him as a living jungle gym.

The long haired Saiyan was often found taking care of the two youngest, allowing the Briefs women time to accomplish other tasks unhindered. Bulma hadn't once hinted to the Saiyan that he needed to find a job to help cover his stay, he'd simply asked if he could help take care of the boys on his own. He apparently had a soft spot for children and enjoyed the task.

Striding into the living room she hadn't seen in decades, Tights frowned slightly at the high pitched squeals of the young children.

With a sigh she sank down onto the couch next to Yamcha and gave the man a smile. "So you're the famous Yamcha, right? Bulma and Mom have told me quite a bit about you over the years when they'd write or I'd call."

The ex-bandit rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Guilty as charged."

She eyed him up and down as if trying to read into his soul. "What happened between you two? I thought you and Bulma were a huge item. For years all that Mom could talk about was whether or not you two would finally be getting married. You're a good looking man. The scars just make you look a bit more ruggedly handsome. I know if I was Bulma, I'd have never have traded you for that scary little monkey man."

A low growl came from Raditz as he turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the woman. She glanced his way and tensed as if expecting him to attack. He gave her a look of contempt before turning back to play more with the boys.

Yamcha cleared his throat to draw Tights' attention back to him. He scratched the back of his head again, this time in nervousness. "Well, um..., I'm not exactly sure what all happened. It's kind of a blur to me. I'm not sure if you know but Bulma was my first girlfriend and I thought it would always be us no matter what. She's the one who helped me to get over my fear of girls. Bulma isn't the easiest person to live with, though. She hates wandering eyes and innocent flirting. I guess I just enjoyed those things too much. It would always end in us fighting and breaking up. I'd go off and have a few flings for a while to get it out of my system, then when I'd come back we'd get back together."

He held up his hand in an oath. "I swear I never cheated on her when we were together. Things went on like that for years. Then came the big misunderstanding. We'd had an argument about something that I don't even remember anymore. I figured that I'd give her some time and it would all be good again. Then I found out that Goku died and that we were warned that two Saiyans were coming to Earth in a year. None of us had time for relationships then. We all trained until the space pods crashed into the planet. I ended up dying to some cabbage man and spent a long time in Otherworld training with King Kai. I'd always expected Bulma to jump into my arms when I was brought back to life, but she avoided me and said that she'd moved on. Then when I found out she was pregnant, I was devastated. I didn't find out it was Vegeta she was with until months later when he was brought back to Earth."

He gave a long suffering sigh and leaned back against the cushions. "It hurt, it really did. Vegeta may not have directly killed me, but he was responsible in a way. Finding out that she chose him was like rubbing salt into my wounds. Then that bastard had the audacity to save my life in battle and I just didn't know what to feel anymore. I've had a hard time getting over everything, but I've been trying."

Tights reached out and ran her fingers through Yamcha's hair. "Wait. Died? As in no life? People just don't come back from that."

Yamcha gave her a wry grin. "Well normally they don't, but we can gather Earth's dragon balls. They can bring anyone who hasn't died of natural causes in the last year back to life once. That's how Goku was brought back to life to fight against Vegeta and Nappa. The Namekian dragon balls were used to bring back me and my friends since some of us had died before."

A bewildered expression covered the blonde woman's face. "You mean those wishing orbs that Bulma went looking for as a kid are real?"

He couldn't help the snicker that came out at her expression. "Yeah. She was going to wish for strawberries, or the perfect boyfriend, or something like that, but then we decided to get together. She never did make a wish back then."

His face fell at those memories. "Bulma has always been there for me and moving on has been hard."

Pulling his head to her chest, Tights stroked his hair again comfortingly. "Maybe you just need to find someone else and focus on them."

Fighting the flush that rose to his face from his position, the fighter let out a self depreciating laugh. "No girl would understand my life. It's too complicated. We were warned again of a danger coming and that we would all die. So I have to spend so much of my time training now because, personally, I'd rather live. I don't think that snatching a moment to be together here and there is something most people would put up with."

Tights gave him a gentle squeeze. "Don't sell yourself short. Maybe what you need for now is just a girl that is a friend, who is **not** Bulma, to hang out with. How about I stay here and we can go out and do things when you have time to relax. I can catch up with my family during the rest of the time. Mom's been making me feel guilty about never visiting."

Yamcha tilted his head up to look into her eyes and smiled. "Yeah. I think I'd like that."

A snort of amusement startled the two out of their private moment. They both turned their heads to see a smirking Bulma leaning over the back of the couch.

She gave a bark of laughter as Yamcha jerked himself upright and away from Tights. "I see Yamcha is using his charm on you there, Sis. Just be warned he's a blatant womanizer."

Tights gave a small frown at her sister. "It was nothing like that. I was just offering to be his friend. Plus I'm sure your just exaggerating about him to make yourself feel better about your own decisions."

Yamcha had the decency to look sheepish at her words, but he didn't miss how the corner of Bulma's eye begin to twitch in irritation. He gave her a mischievous grin. "Now, now. I know how girls like to fight over me, but there isn't any need here. I'm willing to share myself with everyone."

Bulma's steely gaze bore into him, making him swallow nervously. She scoffed at him. "As if. I'm perfectly happy with my husband. **He** doesn't treat women like Pokemon."

She purposefully walked around the seat to where an amused Raditz sat watching the interaction. Plucking Trunks from his perch on the Saiyan's head, she motioned for Raditz to follow her as she strode from the room . "Come on you big hairball, dinner is ready. It's a good thing Mom hired those cooks to help feed you Saiyans. She had them make a lot extra so you'd at least have a nice meal before being stuck with those ration capsules in space."

Raditz gracefully rose to his feet with Goten tucked into the crook of one elbow. He gave the two on the couch one last look before turning to leave. "I'm almost disappointed that I won't be here to see the entertainment for the next few weeks. You sure are good at pushing the wrong buttons on Bulma and she's scarier than I can remember any Saiyan woman being."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

On a large vessel in the vast reaches of space, beings of various races scurried about their different jobs. Wounds were healed and equipment repaired. Their savage thoughts wondering which planet they would conquer and plunder next.

In the control room of the ship, a blue skinned, lizard like male pulled off his headset with a look of glee. He rushed over to kneel before the obese figure lounging in a sturdy throne.

Emperor Noni waved a yellow hand at the figure peering up at him. "Yes, what is it?"

The lizardman flicked his tongue over a nostril in excitement before speaking. "Your Highness, we have found the location of the Galactic Patrol headquarters. It's in sector 92 on a planet called Gazene. Our intelligence gathering has suggested that it is highly likely that their so called 'king' rules them from there. They are about a week away from our current location."

Noni stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger and grinned wickedly. "Most excellent. We shall break the spirits of any who would dare resist me and eliminate those pesky Patrolmen at their core."

He turned towards his lieutenant and motioned him into action. "Bodark, set us on a course to this Planet Gazene. I hear my destiny calling to me. Soon I shall be the supreme ruler of the universe!"

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The sun was barely cresting the horizon for daybreak as a small group gathered around two very different space ships.

Bulma carefully stepped down the ramp of the capsule ship as she wiped the grease off her hands with a towel. Looking around, she spied the three adult Saiyans gathered around a flustered Krillin. The short man was hurriedly scribbling down words in a notebook.

Shaking her head in mock exasperation, she made her way over to the group. "I'm sure Krillin can handle anything that comes up without all of you micromanaging."

As one the males turned their attention to the blue haired woman. Vegeta crossed his arms and gave her a snort. "Woman, I've seen first hand the type of trouble you can get yourself in to. He'll be hard pressed to keep up."

He nodded his head towards the notebook. "There is no micromanaging there. We were just discussing which training techniques that the human warriors should concentrate on while we are gone."

Bulma rolled her eyes and slapped him in the arm. "Don't you guys think of anything other than fighting? Anyway, I just finished checking over the ship. Everything is running smoothly, and there shouldn't be any problems. Dad is going over the vital flight systems with Gohan so that at least one of you knows where the repair priority should lie if something does happen. Mom scrounged through the supplies and put every capsule of food rations she could find on board the ship. There should be at least a months worth even if all of you eat like Goku at every meal."

She narrowed her eyes and poked a finger first into Vegeta's chest, then did the same to Goku. They looked at her in confusion. "You two had better bring the ship back this time. I'll have plenty of time to think up punishments for both of you while you're gone."

Taking a deep breath of air, Bulma let it out in a sigh. "I still don't know why you are traipsing off to another planet. Scratch that. I know why Goku is. He's always been like that."

She stared intently at her husband. "This helping people seems rather out of character for you, Vegeta. Don't try and tell me you're doing it out of the goodness in your heart. That's not like you."

The Prince reached out and cupped his hand over her shoulder. "Saiyans were one of the most detested and hunted races in the universe. We gained that reputation from the ruthlessness with which we carried out Frieza's orders while enslaved under him. The Galactic Patrol heavily influences a large portion of the planets. Even if the others didn't go, I would. It's my duty to the Saiyan race as it's last prince. So I'm taking hold of the opportunity that was dumped in my lap. This will stop or at least greatly reduce any future attempts to annihilate us. Sure I'm powerful enough to just kill anyone stupid enough to try, but that shit gets tiring after a while."

He rested his forehead against hers before continuing. "After what happened with Gohan, I don't want to take any chances with half-breed children being forced to fight too young. We cannot risk an early ascension in any of them. If something does happen and we don't come back. Take the boys and hide somewhere. Hell wish yourself to New Namek if you have to. Just make sure they grow up. They are the hope for the future."

Feeling the tears well up, Bulma wiped hastily at her eyes before throwing her arms around her Prince. She leaned her mouth into his ear. "You better come back, or when I'm done getting you here with a dragon, you'll be sorry."

Vegeta blushed lightly at her public display of affection, but let her hold him.

Pulling herself away from Vegeta, Bulma gave a sad smile. Then she walked over to Goku and embraced him. "I know you don't always get along, but take care of each other."

Raditz's face flushed deep red as Bulma turned and wrapped her arms around his waist as well. "Keep them from killing each other. I swear you're the sanest of the lot sometimes."

She stepped back just as Dr Briefs and Gohan made their way out of the ship. She moved to the boy and gave him a hug. "Kick some butt out there, Gohan."

Panchy came rushing out of the kitchen carrying four paper bags in her hands. After smothering each embarrassed Saiyan with hugs and kisses she handed them a bag. "I got up extra early and made some cookies for each of you. I know the real reason you'll come back to me is you love my cooking."

Dr Briefs laughed lightly at his wife's antics before grasping each Saiyan's hand. "Good luck, boys. We'll be here when you get back."

Tights stood beside Yamcha watching her family interact with the Saiyans. She felt conflicted at them being so friendly with those she'd only had described to her as monsters for the last few decades. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Tien and Chiaotzu came up to stand behind her.

The triclops gave half a smile at the sight before him. "Same old Goku. Off to save someone new. Raditz isn't quite as friendly, but he's been getting quite close to his brother. It's Vegeta being so gung-ho to do that that surprised me."

"It shouldn't be a surprise." Krillin gave everyone a nod as he walked up to them. "He's not the same person who came here a few years ago. Having an actual home and not being judged harshly all the time has done wonders for him."

He leaned in to the group and lowered his voice. "Don't say anything, but I'm pretty certain he's striving to be the person Gohan sees him as."

Piccolo landed softly beside the ex-monk. "That may be part of it, but Vegeta is a person driven by purpose. Once Frieza was defeated on Namek, there was no need for that desperate pursuit of power to free himself. Then something happened to him and Gohan in space that changed his focus. He's been rather driven to protect this planet and bring back his race since they got back."

Krillin looked up at the green male with raised eyebrows. "You've changed a lot as well over the last few years as well, Piccolo. I'm shocked that you've stuck around Capsule Corp as much as you have."

The tall Namekian tilted his head and gave the other fighter a look. "Gohan needed as many friends around as possible. The Briefs have gone out of their way to make someplace for me to feel comfortable. After a _Kai_ showed up to save the boys and leave another Saiyan here, nothing could make me leave. They are important for something and I'd like to know what."

A quiet fell over the fighters as they contemplated his words.

Tights eyed each of the warriors surreptitiously. So much was just said that she didn't understand and she was curious. She was plotting out questions to ask her mother when Jaco came rushing up to her.

He waved his hand in an enthusiastic greeting to everyone. Amused looks were exchanged at his actions. "Good morning everyone!"

He grabbed the blonde haired woman by the wrist. "Hurry up, Tights. We're loaded up and going to leave in just a moment."

Gently removing herself from his grip she gave him a hug. "I'm staying here for now, Jaco. It's been so long since I've spent time with my family."

The bug eyed Patrolman gave her a small frown. "But I don't know when we'd ever get back this way. You might be stuck on Earth for a long while."

Tights patted his hand. "I'll be alright. I still have a communicator so I can call you."

Jaco gave her a nod before smacking his fist into his hand. "Alright then, if that's what you want. I'll message you when I have some time."

As he sprinted back to the Patrol ship, Tights raised her hand in goodbye. "Well looks like I'm done world hopping for a while."

Cheers of farewell from the warriors around her drew her attention to the Saiyans walking up into their ship. Her parents and sister stepped back to stand with the rest of the group as the round ship rumbled to life.

As both spaceships launched into the sky, the group on the ground gave a collective sigh and dispersed to their daily tasks.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The buzzing of the communications console pierced through the air of the Capsule ship. Several groans answered the noise from the bed. Vegeta gave a hard shove to the figure lounging behind him. "Raditz, answer that damn thing."

The tall Saiyan gave a grunt and sat up. Rubbing his eyes he slid his feet to the floor and stumbled over to computer. "What the hell does Arachis want this time?"

Pressing a button, Raditz glared as the screen flashed to life. "What?! We still had thirty minutes to sleep!"

Arachis jerked at the Saiyan's abruptness, but recovered quickly. In a panicked voice he began to ramble at high speed. "We have to increase the speed of our ships! We have to get to the home base now! Everyone is in danger!"

Vegeta pushed Raditz to the side and dropped into the seat in front of the screen. "What are you going on about? We've only kept to this speed because your ship is slower than ours."

A look of hope crossed the Patrol leaders face. "You can go faster? Good. Go. Maybe you can make it in time!"

The Prince gave him an irritated scowl and held up his hand. "Stop your prattling and explain what's going on."

Arachis took a deep breath to calm himself. "We just got a distress call from Planet Gazene. That's where the Patrol is headquartered and we've been heading. Fifteen minutes ago a large ship entered the planetary radar. Then Emperor Noni came over the coms demanding everyone surrender or die. Base is broadcasting the Keep Away signal to all Patrol Ships. They are expecting to die."

Raditz moved to another console and typed in some commands. Without looking away from his screen he called over his shoulder. "If we push the engines, we can make it there in forty minutes, an hour at most."

Vegeta scrubbed his hands against his face before looking back at the pleading Arachis. "That cephalopod you call a king is on that planet, correct?"

At the Patrolman's emphatic nod, the Saiyan let out a resigned sigh. "Very well. We'll attempt to save him. You better be right behind us and explaining our deal once that upstart Noni is dead, or I'll be roasting his tentacles and feeding them to Kakarot."


	25. Friend or Foe

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*Very sorry for the delays. I do have a computer now. Next chapter is almost done as well so it should actually be out soon. I had some blood sugar issues while writing the last part of this. My brain does weird things when like that.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 25: Friend or Foe**

Vegeta flicked his fingers over the buttons, turning off the communication screen. His brow furrowed in thought for a moment before he spun on his heel and marched back to the bed. Grabbing a one of the large protruding arms, he gave a quick yank and jerked Goku out from under the covers and onto the floor.

As his head impacted the floor, Goku came awake with a start. Rubbing at the sore spot, he looked up into the scowling face of the Prince. "Ow Vegeta! What did you do that for?"

Giving a derisive snort, Vegeta turned and grabbed Gohan in a similar manner, tossing the boy at his father instead of to the floor.

When both were awake, he crossed his arms in irritation. "We've had a change in plans. Noni decided to take the Patrol out at their source. We've increased our speed and will be arriving before our so called 'escort'. Personally, I'd rather not land at their little space port and be ambushed by forces from both sides. So hurry up and get dressed. I want everyone wearing their battle suits. It's most likely that Noni's forces will be wearing similar outfits and they may mistake us for being one of their own."

Goku rubbed his chin in thought for a moment then spoke up. "So if we need to get on the planet without anyone being suspicious, why don't we just send out a distress signal? Then we can just land where ever we want to."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him in shock for a moment. Goku grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well that's what happened when I crashed the Ginyu pod after the fight on Namek. Well except for I really did have an emergency then. But they understood it was an emergency and didn't get upset about it."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow before shaking his head in disbelief. "With how you act most of the time, I sometimes forget that you have a brain in there. Then you go and actually use it for tactics when I'm not expecting it."

He looked over his shoulder at Raditz. "You heard your brother. It's a brilliant idea and well worth a shot. Implement it. Then I want everyone dressed. We won't have time for anything else."

A loud rumbling echoed throughout the small ship. It was answered by other less loud rumblings.

Vegeta sighed. "Fine. The faster we get dressed means that we might have time to eat something before we land."

As they quickly threw on clothing and armor, the Prince gave Raditz a speculative look. "So how long really until we make landfall?"

The long haired Saiyan gave him a wry grin. "I figured we didn't want the Patrol to have any idea just how fast we can really go. You know, in case we want to make a fast exit instead of wiping them out. I don't trust them and things might go sour. We should be there about ten minutes before Noni. Plenty of time for us to get into position to take out his little army. If everyone evacuated the city right away, there should be very few deaths that aren't aggressors. Well at least until the Patrolmen on the planet figure out that we are there and decide to be idiots."

Vegeta gave a dark chuckle. "We both know how likely that scenario is. We'll see how this plays out."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Alarms blared throughout the halls of the massive complex and a voice called for General Quarters over the speakers. Galactic Patrolmen rushed about preparing for the impending attack.

Pale faced, many of the Patrolmen swallowed nervously past the lump that fear that threatened to close off their throats. Finding their battle stations, they met each other's eyes with worry. Every one of them knew that their chances of beating back the enemy were slim at best. They had all heard the rumors of what Noni did to anyone that he did allow to survive, and none of them wanted to live through that. They would go down fighting, or they would grant the last mercy to each other.

Down the hall and in the main audience chambers, the Galactic King's advisors were pleading with the monarch.

"Please, sire. You must leave while there still is a chance!" One of the advisors wailed as he grabbed ahold of the king's tentacles.

The cephalopod gently removed his appendage from the advisor's grip and laid it on the male's shoulder in an attempt to calm him. "As King I will not abandon my people and flee into exile. It is dishonorable. Granted I never expected Noni to attack here and force us into a last stand, but I suppose that was an oversight on my part. We seem to be the last thing standing between him and total domination of the universe."

A fish-like Patrolman standing off to the side tapped a stylus on a computer tablet a few times before looking up. "Attempts to escape via ship would have been useless anyway. The small craft that launched just after Noni's ship entered our system was mercilessly blown to bits as it attempted to flee. He apparently does not want any escaping him. By my calculations, the best course of action would be to retreat outside of the city with the civilian population."

Several advisors scowled at the Patrolman before one spoke up in disgust. "So you expect our King to act like a coward because your numbers say it's best?"

The fin on the Patrolman's head laid back as he shrugged and tapped a few more times on his tablet. "Every other scenario I've ran through has had a zero percent chance of survival."

The King gave him an odd look. "I don't see how dying outside the city versus here in my chambers will make much of a difference in the outcome."

Tapping a few buttons the Patrolman brought up a small holographic projection of the system radar. "Getting outside of the city will buy more time before they find you."

With a webbed hand he tapped a large blinking dot on one side that was drawing ever closer to the planet. "This is Noni's ship."

Moving his finger over he tapped a small dot moving towards the planet from nearly the opposite direction. "This dot here is broadcasting a signal identifying it as Igneous Squad's ship. They were not expected to return for at least a week. I would have assumed that they failed in their mission except for one fact."

He moved his finger closer to the planet and tapped another dot. "This ship has an unknown identification. It's moving along the exact course of our Patrol ship indicating a common point of origin. They are simply travelling faster at this moment and may very well make it here right before Noni does."

The Patrolman looked over at the King as he turned off the projection. "That is why you should leave. That might just be the aid you send Igneous Squad to find. Leaving will buy some time before Noni's forces find you. It's a very small chance, but it's the only one there is."

The King closed his eyes and rubbed at his brow with tentacle before speaking. "Very well. We shall relocate to outside of the city."

The advisor next to him gave a cry of relief and latched on to him again, pulling him from the chambers. "Hurry, sire! We don't have any time to waste."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

On Noni's vessel, the weapons arrays were trained on the two small spacecraft approaching the planet. Gunners grinned maliciously as their fingers twitched over the controls. One turned to look back at their commander. "Shall we fire upon them now, Emperor?"

The yellow being gave a snort from his throne. "No, let them come. The unknown ship is transmitting distress. It's likely that the Patrol ship was escorting them to what they thought was safety. I want them to feel fear when they realize that the Patrol can't protect them and that they are trapped on a planet with me. Let the Patrol ship come as well. They are nothing, only a few more flies that will need swatting."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The four Saiyans leaned back in their seats as the capsule ship burrowed into the planet's thick atmosphere. The craft shook violently at the speed of re-entry.

Raditz stared at the unusually quiet communications panel. The only sound coming from it was the constant beep of the Patrol warn off signal. No one from the planet had hailed them to question their purpose.

Carefully piloting the fast moving ship, Vegeta brought it to the outskirts of the metropolis surrounding the spaceport. Only when they neared ground and warning klaxon started blaring did the Prince apply reverse thrusters to slow their decent. The ship came to jerky rest with a heavy thud and was shrouded in the dirt and smoke kicked up by an unorthodox landing.

As everyone stood from their seats, Goku looked at Vegeta with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't use landing thrusters. The ones you used are for maneuvering in space."

The Prince gave him half a shrug. "Use your brain again. We're supposed to be a ship in distress. I figured we should look the part. So I brought us in hot and landed us hard. Hopefully they should think we crashed."

As the Saiyans stepped down the ramp and into the lingering dust cloud, they took in their surroundings. A pale red sun cast odd shadows over the purple vegetation behind them. Before them lay a large grey city surrounded by metallic walls. Peoples of many different species could be seen pouring from the gates in the distance.

Vegeta encapsulated the ship and tucked it in safely under his breast plate. Having carried out many a purging mission in his servitude under Frieza, the scene of chaos before him was quite familiar. He felt the battle lust begin to burn in his veins and knew Raditz would be feeling the same.

He looked over each of his fellow Saiyans before speaking in a serious voice. "We will spread out and work individually. Keep your power suppressed as much as possible. They will be using scouters and one of us lighting up as a high number would bring them en masse. They will be easier to take out in the smaller groups they naturally split into. If you do get in trouble, forget that and power up as far as you can so the rest of us know to get to you. I want to save our race, not have us die off in doing this."

Raditz crossed his arms over his chest. "One thing that may also help us. I had the misfortune to be stuck with this bastard several times on Frieza's orders. Noni is into the pomp and ceremony. Unlike Frieza, he always likes to come in at the planet's docks if possible. He feels he's making a grand entrance that way. We can probably just find a spot out in the streets and ambush them as they come by."

A haunted look crossed the Saiyan's face before he turned away from the others. "Noni was one of Zarbon's lackeys for a long time. I want to help end his pathetic little life. There's a few things I'd really like to pay him back for."

Goku laid a hand on his brother's shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze.

Shaking off the memories, Raditz returned the gesture.

Gohan took a step and lifted into the air. "Can we go now? I'm kind of excited to fight all these guys."

Vegeta gave a snort and waved his hand. "Patience boy. It's a Saiyan thing. I can assure you we all feel the same way. But yes we can go."

After several minutes of skirting the prying eyes of the city's fleeing residents, the small group of Saiyans found themselves across from the spaceport entrance. A steadily increasing rumbling from overhead drew their attention upwards.

Gohan gave half a shudder and leaned in against the leg of the nearest adult. _'Crapbaskets! That chi feels insanely strong and it's so dark!'_

He gave a small shake of his head to clear it before looking up into the serious face of his father. "Is that the guy we need to defeat? He feels worse than Frieza."

Goku gave his head a nod. "Yeah, it looks like it. This might be a tough fight."

Voice tense and low, Vegeta finally spoke up. "His race gets stronger by killing and ingesting each other to absorb their power. He's obviously been doing some feasting."

Shaking visibly, Raditz clenched and unclenched his fists. "Noni had a habit of going after any member of his race he could find. When he finally surpassed Zarbon in power, Frieza started getting worried and decided to have him killed. Apparently word got to Noni before any action could be taken and he fled with one of the ships and his squad. With how immense that feels, I doubt there is any one else left of his race."

Looking around the area, Goku bit at his lip. "I want to take them on right here. There is plenty of space. But I think there might be too many of them to make it quick. I can also feel too many people still in the city."

Vegeta gave a snort. "They put to much faith in their Patrol saving them."

He looked down the empty streets surrounding them. "We should back off to about mid city. Once the low level scum has been eliminated we can work out what to do with the rest of the problem. Try not to kill anyone else and if you see that talking octopus they call King, make sure he doesn't die."

Turning on their heels, the Saiyans split off and disappeared into the maze of streets.

Behind them the huge space ship came to a rumbling landing at the docks.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan crouched half concealed in the shadows of a building doorway and watched as numerous figures rushed by him and down the street. Some were dressed in the black and white of the Patrolmen and carried weapons. Others were obviously civilians. His senses were on high alert as he felt several chis much greater than the average approaching him. His fists tightened as he heard a scream in the distance, but he held his position. An ambush would prevent the enemy from securing living shields before he could destroy them.

In a few minutes, the amount of people running began to thin out and he could tell the enemy was almost upon him. The corner of his lips twitched into a smirk of anticipation.

He was so caught up in sensing out his targets, that he had tuned out everyone moving past in front of him as unimportant. They weren't the enemy and it wasn't like they could actually harm him.

A sharp, high pitched voice calling out at him drew his attention back to his surroundings. "Boy! What do you even think you're doing?!"

He looked up to see an older, green skinned female with lavender hair place her hands on her hips and glare at him. "Quit your hiding in there and back in line with the rest of them!"

She motioned over her shoulder to where a couple dozen children of various ages and races were making their way down the street. As children do, few stopped to observe the interaction.

Gohan stared at her in disbelief for a long moment before lifting his lip up in a snarl. "What the hell are you still doing here? Were you to stupid to get children out of the city and to safety at the first warning?"

As the rest of the children in her charge stopped and watched this boy who dared to talk back to their teacher, the female puffed up her chest in fury. She stepped closer and shoved a finger under the Saiyan's nose. "Don't you talk to me like that little boy! If we were still at the learning center I'd be giving you the punishment you rightly deserve."

Gohan scoffed and carefully pushed her away and towards the direction everyone else had fled. "I'm not one of your damn kids. Get the hell out of here while you still can."

The female opened her mouth to speak again but a sinister chuckle interrupted her impending tirade. She turned to stare wide eyed at the approaching band of fighters.

The obvious leader of the group, a lizardman, flicked his tongue across his scaly snout before chuckling again as he glanced towards his companions. "Well, well, well. Looky here boys. Seems like we found some nice young flesh to serve as new slaves for Emperor Noni. Perhaps he'll let us indulge in them first if we're lucky. I always did like them young. I'll just dispose of the female and then we can round them up."

He raised his hand and let out a blast towards the now terrified female. Her green skin paled to a sickly grey as she shrieked in dread at her impending doom.

Reacting almost without thought, Gohan reached out a hand and batted the blast into the sky. Every set of eyes turned to stare at him in awe.

A look of fury crossed the lizardman's face for a moment. Then he calmly pressed the button on the scouter he wore. "Hmm. A power level of only 15. I don't know how you managed to do that when you're so weak, brat, but you're going to wish you hadn't when I'm done with you."

Gohan smirked arrogantly at the lizard and crossed his arms. He turned his head slightly to address the female he had just saved. "Take the children and get out of here. Now."

The lizarman hissed in displeasure as he moved to fire another blast. "I don't think so!"

There was a flash of something and then his scaly arm dropped weakly to his side. He looked down at where Gohan was now standing in front of him, and pulling back a fist. Seeing the green ichor dripping from the boy's arm and hand, his eyes wandered to the hole now gracing his chest. Breath rattling, he fell to his knees stuttering. "How? I..didn't even see you move."

Gohan flicked the sticky fluid from his hand and snapped his head towards the other fighters who stood motionless, staring at him in disbelief. His eyes hardening, he then zanzokened between the rest of the enemies.

As their bodies fell lifeless, he reached out his senses searching for the next target. Flicking his tail wildly in anticipation, he lifted off the ground in that direction.

Another feminine scream echoed from behind him and he turned to see what might have sneaked past him. The female was now cowering in even more fear than before as she shoved wide eyed and terrified children behind her. She raised a shaky hand and pointed at him while trying to scramble away. She only managed to utter one word through her trembling lips. "Saiyan!"

Gohan gave her a sneer of contempt. "Of course. I save you and _I'm_ the monster."

Turning his back to them, he continued his hunt.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Tights sat at the kitchen table warily staring into the pair of blue eyes sitting across from her.

 _*crunch*_

Every now and then the sound of bone being crushed by teeth caused her to flinch involuntarily.

 _*crunch*_

Bulma gave a sigh and set down the spoon she had been using to feed Goten. She looked over at Trunks who was happily sitting in his highchair gnawing on a bone.

Noticing her looking at him, Trunks gave his mother a wide smile before resuming his snack.

 _*crunch*_

Out of the corner of her eye, Bulma saw her sister flinch again. She turned fully to face her. "Stop that. He's not going to eat you. You've been here two weeks, you should be used to their eating habits by now."

Tights gave a shudder. The unbelievable amount of food that the toddler and infant could put away continued to destroy her appetite. She was seriously rethinking her plans to stay with her family.

 _*crunch*_

Shaking her head, the blonde looked back at her sister. "I'm sorry, it's just. I don't know. I mean you give them bones like they are some sort of dogs. I thought babies had to have milk and little kids needed soft foods."

Bulma shrugged and picked back up the spoon as Goten began to whine. After shoveling several more scoops into his mouth to quiet him, she spoke again. "They are different than human babies. They need more minerals and protein. In ways their bodies are a lot more primitive even if their minds are really advanced."

Tights gave a look over at the Goten who was trying to reach the bowl so he could shove his face in it. "They don't seem anything like humans to me. Some of the stuff that the Patrol taught me about them..."

"Stop!" Bulma raised a hand. "You really need to forget everything that the Patrol said about Saiyans. It's all wild speculation meant to cause fear. Trunks over there shares the same blood as you. Unless you think you're evil, you need to quit thinking that of him."

Tights hung her head at the chastisement. A thought rushed through her head and she looked up again. "I still don't see how that is even possible. Are the kids mules?"

Bulma shook her head. "Looking at their genes they don't appear to be. Out of curiosity I've taken DNA samples from all the adults and the children. I do a new sample to compare after anything unusual happens to them. It's been rather intriguing. I will say that Saiyan and human DNA seems to be almost fully compatible. The bodies of the halfbreeds can change under specific circumstances. Gohan may have had a human mother, but he is fully Saiyan now."

She looked her sister in the eyes. "You studied enough biology. You know what it means when you get fertile males from what was thought to be a different species."

Tights gave a sharp intake of breath then eyed her nephew in a new light. "So they were humans, or humans were them. I wonder what happened to cause such changes."

With a sigh, Bulma looked at her sister. "You need to know that Dad and Mom and I will do everything we can to make sure that the Saiyans survive. One of the Kais, the gods in the Otherworld placed them under our care. When we asked Kami, our planet's guardian, about it he was very startled. As a rule Kais do not interfere with mortals. Even less so for the higher up ones. Kami thinks the Saiyans belong to that Kai."

Lifting her glass to her lips, Tights almost choked at her sisters words. "So the Saiyans were supposed to be some celestial warriors or something? Something really went wrong somewhere then. They've killed off a lot of species."

Bulma nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Frieza happened. The Saiyans were aggressive and hired themselves out as mercenaries to weaker races for much of what is known of their history. I know first hand how even the most pure hearted like Goku love to fight. Their race was enslaved under threat of annihilation if they didn't serve the Kolds. Then Frieza decided to eliminate them anyway, leaving just four survivors. We have the three living ones."

Pursing her lips, Tights mulled over her thoughts. "So you're breeding a new line of Saiyans. Doesn't it bother you to be used like that?"

Bulma went rigid in anger. "I am not being used! I married Vegeta because I actually like the guy. He may be a jerk but he's the only guy who stands up to me. In shows me he cares for me. We got together and I was pregnant with Trunks well before he got the wild idea to save his race..."

She trailed off and paused in thought. "Actually, it was when he and Gohan came back from space that he was really protective of the kids. Damn that Saiyan. He learned something when he was out there and didn't tell me."

Here eyes widened. "Dammit! He really did and Gohan knows it too. The boy has slipped up and started to say things a few times and Vegeta always silenced him. I'm going to have some words with those two when they get back."

Tights held up both hands in defense as Bulma turned angry eyes to her. "Ok, so you're not being used. I just hope you don't expect me to help them repopulate their species."

Bulma let out a huge laugh. "No. Goku has been family since he was a kid. Raditz being his actual brother by blood makes him family, too, I guess. Besides. I see how you and Yamcha have been making goo goo eyes at each other. It's like watching two teenagers with crushes for the first time."

Face flaming in embarrassment, Tights turned away from her sister and focused on Trunks. The boy gave her a smirk reminiscent of his father then resumed his chewing.

 _*crunch crunch*_


	26. Salvation

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*I'm very sorry it has been so long. I've had some personal issues but am getting better. I need to thank_ fangurlsrule _for having a little bit of a pm chat with me when I really needed it. It did help._

 _This story will not be following Super for obvious reasons. The direction I planned out from the beginning would not fit in with the narrative of that world. I'm not entirely happy with how Super has gone anyway. Don't get me started on young Trunks having a 50 year old girlfriend (the wish did not alter Mai's mind). Not to mention that it's actually made me like how Gohan was treated in GT, and the only thing I really like about GT is SSJ 4. I will not be following GT either, though there might be something with the hitozaru transformation in the future (reached a different way). Really, it isn't achieved and doesn't act like an SSJ transformation. In GT, SSJ 3 isn't even a requirement, only SSJ._

 _At least this chapter is a longer one to help make up for the wait*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **"** **word** **"** = Saiyago

 **Chapter 26: Salvation**

Heavy breathing and muffled groans of pain filled the air as a group of Patrolmen hurriedly dragged their battered bodies into a small storeroom. As the door slid shut behind them, their de facto leader adjusted the power of his blaster then fired repeatedly at the door's edges, sealing it tight with spot welds. He frowned as he looked at his work.

His words were a hushed whisper when he spoke. "We need to be very quiet. I know that some of us are hurt very badly. Give them something to bite down on to help muffle the pain. If we are very quiet, there might be a chance that Noni's troops will pass by this room when the door doesn't automatically open. At the best though, it is probably just delaying the inevitable."

One of the others spoke up softly. "We're not fighters, Filbert. We're engineers and technicians. The fact that we're still alive at all is amazing. We would have all just stood there and let them kill us if you hadn't forced us to get moving."

Leaning back against one of the crowded walls, Filbert slid to the ground and covered his face with one hand. "Those other Patrolmen, they sacrificed themselves to let us get away. I couldn't let us waste that."

He looked up to the ceiling as several tears tracked their way down his face. "I should still be rotting in that hell hole of a slave pit, mining minerals for some other bastard. Or dead. Most likely worked to death, or poisoned in one of the mines by gasses. Only by a miracle am I here. One of the gods must have a reason for it."

Filbert looked over the small group sharing the tiny room. "If the soldiers do find us and start breaking through, I swear to all of you, I will be the last to go down. I'll make sure you all die swiftly."

The others averted their eyes, unwilling to admit their relief that they wouldn't be left to the 'mercies' of their enemy.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Goku sniffed at the air as he moved stealthily through the city streets. After running into several groups of the attackers, he'd found that they all carried an odd, sort of sour scent to them. Most likely something from their ship. So when he'd come across the heavy scent trail matching that sourness, he'd followed it. It had to have been a rather large group, and from what he'd seen so far, the Patrolmen around stood no chance against a force that size. He'd already saved several of them from just a few of Noni's soldiers.

The Galactic Patrol headquarters loomed in front of the Saiyan and he gave a grimace before making his way inside the complex. _'Of course some would have come here. I should have stayed and waited for them. I hope they haven't hurt too many people inside.'_

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Seconds ticked by into minutes that felt like hours as the hidden Patrolmen listened for sounds on the other side of the door. Inevitably those sounds that they had been dreading came. Many heavy footsteps, followed by a banging and scraping on the door as someone tried to force it to open.

Finally a voice reverberated through the door, low and full of menace. "Open up you little pricks. We know you're in there. We can see your power levels on our scouters."

The Patrolmen remained quiet and got to their feet. Blasters at the ready to be put to use, steeling themselves for what was to come.

A loud explosion at the door knocked some of them from their feet and deafened them all momentarily.

Filbert looked on through the settling dust in horror as a large figure stepped up to the new hole and smiled threateningly at them.

Just as the Patrolman raised his blaster in defence, the enemy was knocked from the portal with a cry of pain. Cries of surprise echoed from the hallway, followed by several heavy thuds and then silence.

Another figure stepped up to the doorway and leaned his head in. Wild black hair framed the kind face. "Hey, are you guys alright? I took care of these enemies so it's safe for you to come out now."

Filbert looked at the male in confusion, even as his blaster hand lowered. "Who are you? How did you save us? They were too strong."

Their savior laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, Hi! My name's Goku! Here, let me help you all get out."

The Saiyan grabbed the blasted door by either side of the hole and gave a yank, pulling it away from it's housing as the Patrolmen watched the show of strength in awe. "There. Now you can all come out easily. You can help me as I find the rest of the attackers and make sure your people are safe."

He stepped to the side of the hall and waited as the Patrolmen staggered out, clutching on to each other in comfort. That relief was short lived as the first of them turned and got a good look at their rescuer. The sight of Goku in battle armor, with his tail swaying lazily behind him caused one to shriek in alarm, followed by several others crying out in fear. They attempted to scramble backwards over each, other away from the living nightmare in front of them.

Goku frowned at their reactions. He'd never had someone scared of him just for being himself. It hurt his soul to see them so afraid of him. "Hey now. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just here to help out."

Filbert swallowed hard and then took a step towards him. "Y-you, you're a Saiyan. I-I met a couple Saiyans before, back on a planet where I was being held prisoner. A small boy and an adult he called Uncle."

Goku gave the male a reassuring smile and reached out to carefully clap him on the shoulder. "That would have been Vegeta and my son. They told me some things about what happened during their trip. You really don't have to worry right now. We were asked to come here and help."

He turned his head and looked off in the distance. "Come on. We need to hurry before anyone else gets hurt that shouldn't. You can help reassure your people. Then we need to go find your King."

With that the Saiyan turned and hurried off down the corridor. The Patrolmen looked at each other nervously before watching as Filbert followed down the hall.

They reluctantly fell in behind, whispering to their leader. "He's a Saiyan. How can we trust him. We've all heard the stories about them."

Filbert gave a shake of his head. "He's very friendly and he knows the Saiyans I ran into before. If he's anything like them, I'm pretty sure we'll be just fine. If he's not, well Saiyans are a much better fate than whatever Noni would do to us."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan grinned maniacally as he bounced down the street in search of more targets. So far most of the enemy fighters he'd ran into had been disappointingly weak. Every now and then, though, he would come across one in a group that gave him a bit of a challenge. He felt the excitement fill him at the thought of hopefully finding an even stronger opponent to test himself against.

Turning a corner, the young Saiyan spied a small mixed group of Patrolmen and civilians fighting off a larger squad of invading soldiers. They were slowly losing.

Appraising the situation, he leapt forward to land in the middle of the Patrol group.

Gohan snickered as the Patrol gave startled cries and scrambled to get away from him. Cocking his head slightly, he looked up at face the apparent leader of the enemy squad, a male with deep blue scales and greasy hair. The boy smirked at his stunned target. "I'd tell you to surrender, but we both know that's not going to happen. Please try to at least give me somewhat of a challenge. I've been getting bored."

Phasing out of sight for a moment, Gohan reappeared behind the leader. His fist barely missed the blue head as the male recovered from his surprise.

Swinging his scaly body around he brought his leg up, catching Gohan in the chest and sending the boy several feet backwards from the force of the blow. The male gave a snort of contempt as he noticed the swaying tail behind the child. "You're sure full of yourself, aren't you little monkey. Your kind always were a prideful lot. I'll take great pleasure in teaching you a lesson. Then when you're broken and bleeding, I'll present your carcass to Emperor Noni. He's sure to reward me well. I heard he has a thing for little monkeys."

Gohan narrowed his eyes and gave a low growl before attacking once again. This time his punch made contact with the blue being's stomach, cracking through the armor he wore. Bringing his arm up, he blocked the first counter attack and smiled. _'He's stronger than the others that I've fought. I don't think I can keep my energy suppressed as much for this fight. I still shouldn't need Super Saiyan, though.'_

The two exchanged a flurry of punches and kicks, gradually increasing in speed and intensity. After several long moments, both fighters paused to reassess the fight. The blue scaled male was panting heavily and blood trickled from several deep gashes. He glared down at Gohan. Spittle flew from his mouth as he howled in rage at the boy who had no real damage apparent on him. "You stupid little bastard! I'm going to rip your innards out through your neck!"

Gohan raised an eyebrow and stared calmly back. "I was really hoping you were going to be a good fight, but this is putting me to sleep."

With a sigh the boy darted forward and landed a crushing blow to the scaled face. The squad leader went silent and his yellow eyes lost their focus before he crumpled to the ground.

Brushing off his hands, Gohan shook his head in disappointment. Leaning to the right, he lifted his left leg and caught an incoming attacker squarely in the chest. A grim look crossed the boy's face at the sound of ribs snapping even as his attacker staggered backwards gasping for breath as blood trickled from his mouth. As he fell to his knees, Gohan stepped around him and launched himself at the next available target.

After taking out several more of the invaders, Gohan felt a short spike of a powerful chi nearby. Spinning around, he moved towards it, the thrill of the fight still singing for more in his blood. _'Alright! Someone who's more of a challenge.'_

A wall of bodies blocked his view of his target and he poised himself to strike. At hearing a last muffled thud, followed by silence, he leapt over the fallen soldiers and bore down on the only standing figure fist first. A hand calmly reached up and grabbed his punch, stopping the boy in mid air. Blinking back the red haze of battle lust, Gohan cocked his head to the side and stared down at a mass of long spiky hair before cringing. "Oops."

Raditz turned his head to look at his nephew and quirked an eyebrow. A glimmer of amusement crossed his face before he released the child. "You should always be sure of your target before attacking. Never lose yourself in the need fight. You were also upwind of me. I could smell you long before you attacked. Had I been the enemy, you would have been the one taken down by a surprise attack."

Gohan blushed lightly and scratched the back of his head. "Right. I'll remember next time."

Both Saiyans tensed as they felt a rather large chi move down the next street then stop.

Zipping past his uncle the way that only a child can, Gohan raced towards the source.

Raditz shook his head before looking around at the half cowering remnants of the Patrol group that were staring slack jawed at him. He gave them a sneer before turning to follow Gohan. "Pick yourselves up and go fight. We shouldn't have to do everything for you weaklings."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Two harried advisors pulled anxiously on their King's tentacles, trying to drag him along at a faster pace. "Sire we must hurry! Noni's ship has landed and we haven't put enough distance between us and him!"

For his part, the cephalopodic ruler was moving as fast as he was could. Tentacles did not make for quick movements on land.

Breathing heavily, the King stumbled towards the ground. "Just give me a moment. I'm not used to all this running."

Crying out in dismay, one of the escorting Patrolmen attempted to pull the King back to his feet. "Sire! Just hold onto my back and I'll carry you."

A gasp came from the fish-scaled Patrolman who had been sporadically watching his computer during their escape. "Damn it! I'm picking up several incoming power levels. One of which is quite high. Hurry and hide the King!"

"Oh, it's way too late for that." Menacing laughter filled the air causing the royal entourage to jerk their heads towards the voice.

A sinister smile spread across thin green lips. "I am General Bodark, commanding officer for Emperor Noni. You little pests have been interfering with his empire for far too long. Soon it will only him ruling where your group and the Kold Empire once stood."

He cackled with laughter again as he motioned his men to surround the Patrol group. "You should have begged Emperor Noni to allow you to surrender. Now it's too bad that none of you will survive to see the glorious day when the entire universe is brought under his rule."

Bodark narrowed his gaze at the cornered King and raised his hand. Releasing a blast large enough to kill the entire group before him, he smirked as it sped towards them.

Patrolmen scrambled forward in desperation to put themselves between the blast and their King.

With a grimace, the ruler braced himself for the pain of his coming death.

Then suddenly a small figure was before them and the ball of energy was swatted away into the sky.

Silence fell in the street. Taking a surprised step back, Bodark glared at the child who had unexpectedly appeared and deflected his attack. "Who the hell are you?"

Gohan grinned up a him and whisked his tail wildly from side to side to draw attention to it. He ignored the cries of dismay from the group behind him. "I'm the boogeyman."

Seeing the flicking tail, Bodark jerked his head back in surprise. "I-Impossible! You can't exist! Frieza killed all the females to make sure you Saiyans couldn't breed!"

He waved his hands impatiently at his men, gesturing them onward. "Don't just stand there, kill the Patrolmen! I'll take care of the monkey kid myself."

The invading troops moved forward to attack, skirting around the Saiyan child.

Gohan gave a smirk before seeming to turn into a pale image of himself as he used the Zanzoken.

Bodark let out a strangled gasp as he legs were swept out from beneath him and a knee driven into his stomach. His sudden rage blinded him to the screams of his men as they were cut down in front of him. Swinging a fist, he made contact with Gohan's cheek. The impact caused the boy to slide several feet away. Lunging to his feet, the General grinned, thinking he had gained the upper hand over a mere child.

Turning his head back to his opponent, Gohan wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Come on now. Frieza did much worse to me, and we all know what happened to him."

Fear flashed in Bodark's eyes and he called out for his men in a panic. "Forget the Patrol! Get the Saiyan. We'll mop up after he's dead."

The only reply he got was a dark chuckling as Raditz stepped into his view. "It's a little hard for them to help you now. You know, considering that they're all dead."

Bodark's eyes grew even wider, recognizing the Saiyan. "Raditz! No! It's not possible. You were only a low level peon. There is no way you could have stood up to any of my men!"

Raditz just crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "Things change."

He looked over at his nephew and shook his head. "Boy, you know better than to play with your target. Finish him off so we can be done with this."

Gohan gave a nod and stepped forward to attack.

The boy staggered in surprise as an immense chi powered up way too close for his liking. The next thing he knew something _very_ hard had hit him in the side and sent him careening through the air. He could dimly hear Raditz also cry out in pain before darkness overtook him.

Raditz, too, had been momentarily stunned by the immensity of the power. Only years of battling and abuse had forced the lesson of a quick reflex upon him and he dodged almost in time to avoid the blast that had been sent his way. What was clearly meant as a killing blow instead glanced off his left arm, damaging bone and tissue. He howled in pain and clutched the bleeding appendage.

Movement to the right drew his attention as Gohan's unconscious form sailed through the air to crash into the side of a building, only to bounce off and land heavily on the ground. The structure began to tremble and collapse in on itself, sending up a cloud of dust.

Vision half obscured, Raditz watched as black booted feet landed beside Gohan and a meaty yellow hand reached out for the boy.

"...No..." It barely came out of Raditz's throat as a whisper. He stared in horror as Noni grasped Gohan by the hair and hauled him up to eye level.

"Well, well, if it isn't a baby monkey. And here I thought I'd never see one again. And the family resemblance is uncanny, don't you think so Raditz? You must be so proud to have a son just like you." Giving a dark chuckle that sent chills down the long haired Saiyan's spine, Noni ran his tongue up the unconscious boy's cheek.

The hefty yellow male slid his eyes over towards Raditz. "My he tastes just as good as you did at his age. Such wonderful times Zarbon and I had playing with you. I wonder if he will scream just like you when he's under me as well. I can't wait to find out."

Terror and horror clashed in the Saiyan's eyes as haunting memories flashed through his head. _'No one should have to suffer what I did. No one! Especially not Gohan! That bastard will pay!'_

"NO!" Hands clenching into fists, Raditz let out a snarl of hate and anger as something primal released itself deep inside him. The _need_ to protect this boy, his family, overwhelmed him. Golden fury swept through his body, pouring out to manifest in his features. He dug the ball of his foot into the ground and hurled himself madly at the being before him. Pure unadulterated rage burned through his senses as he eyes flashed to teal and his mane of hair lit up like a golden comet. "You will never touch him you bastard! I will destroy you!"

Astonishment at the Saiyan's sudden transformation stunned Noni for a brief moment. More than long enough for Raditz's fist to plow deep into the tyrant's gut, forcing him back several steps.

Released from the monster's fist, Gohan fell limply to the ground. The jarring contact with the street causing him to faintly stir.

Grimacing in pain from the impact, Noni swung a large hand at the enraged Saiyan before him. "You'll pay for that you stupid monkey! When I'm done with you, you'll be howling for me again like the bitch you are!"

Raditz snarled, flashing the large canine teeth of his race. He leaned to the side and sent a kick towards the tyrant's head.

Grabbing the incoming foot a second before impact, Noni squeezed down on the limb and began to power up. "I don't think so, you monkey bitch. You're little light show doesn't intimidate me. When I'm through with you, you'll wish that I would have just killed you."

Gohan slowly sat up and rubbed the haze from his eyes in time to see Noni start twisting Raditz's leg. Scrambling to his feet he powered up to Super Saiyan and launched himself into the fray with a cry. "Leave him alone!"

The sight of another golden Saiyan attacking didn't even phase Noni. Rotating slightly he pitched Raditz head first into the charging boy, causing them both to tumble backwards over each other and to the ground.

Taking menacing steps towards the fallen Saiyans, he raised his hand and gathered a dense sphere of energy. "Dumb ass monkeys. I see you learned a new trick, but even with two of you, you're still no match for my greatness."

A deep punch from the side to his kidney sent the yellow tyrant flying. He attempted to right himself, only to be brought to a jarring stop by a boot to the head. Staggering to his feet and backwards, he swiped at the tickle working it's way down from his ear and glared as his hand came back red.

Fuming mad, Noni turned his head to see who he was going to exact his vengeance upon. His gaze met that of a golden haired Vegeta. He gave a snort of derision. "I should have known that the monkey prince was around here somewhere. You always were trying to keep that weakling from me. You were just lucky that you were Frieza's personal little toy."

He spit in the direction of the Saiyan. "Don't think for a moment that you have any chance of harming me. I am now superior to any other being."

An evil smirk found it's way to his lips. "If you surrender now, I may even go lenient on your punishment for daring to raise a hand to me."

The Saiyan Prince gave a snort of disgust. "I'll never be anyone's slave again. Especially not to the likes of you."

Goku stepped up to half flank the yellow male. His posture at the ready for an attack. "You're aura is darker than even Frieza's was when I fought him on Namek. I didn't finish him and that almost cost me. I won't make the same mistake this time."

Noni gave a rumbling laugh at the threat. "You? Defeated Frieza?! He would never have fallen to a mere Saiyan. It would have taken someone with real power to have actually killed him."

Now it was Vegeta's turn to smirk. "And that would have been me."

The Prince's words tolled through the suddenly quiet street. He slid his body down into a combat stance. "As much as it galls me to not face an opponent one on one, you're too much of a threat to let live any longer. **Attack together! We need to take him down quickly!** "

Gohan and Raditz scrambled to their feet and threw themselves into battle even as Goku and Vegeta phased out of sight.

Using his small height to his advantage, Gohan kicked out at the tyrant's knees just as Raditz aimed a punch towards his stomach. They felt, more than saw the impact as Vegeta nailed him in the back and Goku's fist plowed into his face.

Bringing his own fists down, Noni pummelled Raditz in the back of the head, stunning him, before following up with a knee to the gut.

The small group of Patrolmen stared in both awe and terror as the group of combatants sped up their attacks until they became near invisible blurs that slowly rose up into the sky. The sounds of the raging battle met their ears even as the force of their attacks spread out, causing the whole area to rumble and shake. Advisors clung onto either side of their King to both steady him and comfort themselves. To them, Hell had claimed their planet as demons warred with the devil.

A loud shout and large Kiai blast sent the four bloodied Saiyans tumbling away from the tyrant. Panting, they scrambled back into defensive positions.

Noni sneered as he wiped blood from his lips. "You stupid monkeys! Even all together and with your pitiful excuse for a transformation, you're no match for me! I have a transformation of my own!"

The would-be emperor gave a grunt and then his huge body seemed to bulge out even more before it began to undulate and grow in size. He quickly quadrupled in size and large horn like protrusions formed along his back and arms. He gave an evil laugh as he watched Raditz shudder in horror. "Oh, don't worry, Raditz. I'm going to have so much fun with you while in this form. Now go cower in a corner somewhere while I take care of the rest of the pests."

The Saiyans all felt their hearts race in anticipation as they felt the sheer enormity of the enemy's power. As their adrenaline increased in preparation for the challenge of the fight, they knew the outcome could go either way. It seemed that even together they weren't quite powerful enough to fully match him.

Goku's gaze hardened as he prepared to attack. "I don't know how many people you've hurt, but I know I'm not going to stand by and let you hurt any more. I'll do whatever it takes to stop you!"

With a shout, he powered up as far as he could go, then pulled on his chi and forced even more out as he manipulated it. His hair stood up a little straighter and his body grew slightly taller as his muscles began to grow and bulge out. The others stared in awe at him as he stood there for a moment, getting a feel for his power. Then he pushed off the ground and swung first one fist and then the other towards Noni's yellow face.

One attack grazed the tyrant's chin as the other was deflected. Noni gave a small laugh as he grabbed the Saiyan's wrist then brought up a knee, catching Goku in the ribs with the blow even as the Saiyan tried to twist away. Only the intervention of Vegeta's foot in Noni's face stopped the next blow meant to crush the Saiyan's ribcage. Gohan attacked the arm holding his father, forcing Noni to release him and defend that side.

Goku's body seemed to deflate back to normal as he pulled out of the tyrant's reach. _'Damn, channeling the energy into strength just reduces my speed. That form of Super Saiyan is useless if I can't even catch the enemy.'_ He gave a small grunt then launched himself back into the fray.

Raditz stood back for a moment, deep in thought. Blinking he looked up at the monstrous figure before him and gathered his chi into a ball in his hand. It grazed past Noni's head as he threw it into the sky.

The tyrant laughed down at him. "Your aim is pathetic. What did you think you were trying to do, give me a new hairstyle?"

The long haired Saiyan tightened his fist as he controlled the Powerball, causing it to begin to brighten. He gave a grunt and sneered up in hatred even as his heartbeat sped up and his eyes began to glow and turn red. "No. I was just evening up the odds."

With a roar his body sprouted fur then began to stretch and grow and morph into a different form. As his vision came back into focus he saw his fellow Saiyans finishing their own transformations.

Tails lashing in anger behind them, four great golden apes stood facing down at the now smaller enemy.

Vegeta pulled back his lips and bared his teeth. **"Get him!"**

The four Oozaru lunged forward, punching and kicking the yellow figure.

Noni fought back with everything he had, delivering blow after blow to incoming limbs. He grimaced in resentment as he realized that with their Oozaru transformation, the Saiyans had gained more resistance to his blows along with their increase in strength.

Finally after several long minutes the last of his endurance left him and Noni fell before the golden beasts. Struggling to his knees, he looked up into the terrible maw of one of them, which he couldn't tell. He spit blood in the creatures direction. "Piss off you monkey whores. Just remember that it took all of you and a cheap trick to defeat me."

"Die you bastard!" Raditz roared in anger. Fury and a burning need for vengeance drove him to open his mouth and gather his chi in a large, glowing attack then blast it at the fallen tyrant.

Raising his hands up, Noni attempted to block the attack that Raditz sent towards him. He was vaguely aware of his own screams for mercy as the energy engulfed him, charring his flesh. The last sight that met his dying eyes was the snarl on Raditz's face as the golden ape opened his mouth and let loose another blast.

As the attacks ceased and the dust settled, a whimpering voice echoed from the side of the street. "..But..but..but.."

Vegeta turned to see the stammering form of Bodark and lifted his lip in disgust. Raising a hand he made a fist and brought it crashing down on the lackey, silencing Noni's minion for good.

The sound of an explosion high in the sky then the unnerving feel of their bodies shrinking was the only notice of Goku destroying the Powerball and allowing them to regain their human forms. Their hair faded to black as they powered down in the process.

Feeling eyes on him, Raditz looked over to see his brother eyeing his form, then glancing warily at Gohan.

Goku scratched the back of his head before looking at his son again. "I'm kind of surprised that Gohan is alright. Well mostly, but all that was from this fight I think."

Vegeta stepped up in front of Raditz. "The boy isn't in too bad of shape, so what triggered your ascension?"

Raditz looked away in shame. "You know what that asshole did to me. He threatened to do it to the boy. There is no way in hell I was going to let that happen. I'd rather die a thousand deaths."

Both Vegeta and Goku gave him a nod of understanding.

Heavy footsteps caused the adult Saiyans to spin towards the source. At seeing Noni's fall and his killers distracted, the Patrolmen had rushed forward and surrounded what they thought was the easiest target. They all moved closer to Gohan, surrounding him, their weapons drawn and trained on the boy.

The apparent leader of the group glared at the Saiyans. "Surrender or the boy dies."

Even the mild tempered Goku gave them a murderous gaze for the threat. "Release my son. Now!"

Vegeta let loose a snarl of anger. "I knew you bastards would try some stupid shit. Back away from the boy before I level this entire planet!"

Still fueled by the uncontrolled rage of his earlier ascension, Raditz tensed to leap forward.

Just then a panting Arachis raced desperately onto the scene with the rest of his squad at his heels. Skidding to a stop, he looked between the Saiyans, to his fellow Patrolmen, then to the Galactic King. He practically threw himself in front of the King. "No! Sire, you have to stop our men. We don't need a war. The Saiyans are on our side. They're the ones you asked me to bring."

Blinking in surprise, but sensing the direness of the situation, the King gave him a nod before calling to his men. "Release the Saiyan child."

His advisors cried out in dismay. "You can't do that. That was the only bargaining chip we had."

The Patrolmen reluctantly stepped back from Gohan, weapons now trained on all of the Saiyans.

The moment they were away from the boy, Raditz rushed towards him. Protective instincts overwhelming him, he reach around the child's waist and scooped him up against his chest, causing Gohan to let out a squeak of protest. Raising his right hand and gathering chi in warning, Raditz glared at the surrounding Patrol.

Goku stared wide eyed at his brother. "Hey now, Raditz. Calm down. Gohan is strong. He can take care of himself."

Raditz snarled at his brother. "He's your son. You should be helping me protect him. I will not allow what happened to me happen to any child ever again!"

Stepping up to the long haired Saiyan, Vegeta laid a hand on his shoulder. "They may be bastards, but they don't do that sort of thing. That was only something that Frieza and his goons really encouraged. You should know that. Get your power under control. Don't let it control your mind."

Turning his attention back towards the group around them, the Prince found the figure he was looking for. Vegeta called loudly over the bickering noise the Patrolmen were making. "Arachis you better start talking fast. If our deal is broken, I have no problem laying waste to everything and everyone here to protect what is mine."

Making eye contact with the Saiyan Prince, the Patrol leader swallowed nervously and then met the disgusted looks thrown at him by the King's advisors. One finally spoke up with what they all were thinking. "So how hard did you barter us into bankruptcy to get the cooperation of these beasts?"

Arachis gave them a frown before deciding it was best to ignore them and speak directly with the King. "Sire, please. You gave me the order to request aid from Frieza's killer. I have done so. The Prince's request in exchange for their aid was surprising but very reasonable. Please hear him out."

The cephalopod looked deep in thought for a moment before he gave a nod of his regal head. "Very well, let them come closer so that we may discuss the payment that they desire for their timely intervention."

The nearest advisor clutched at one of the King's tentacles. "You can't seriously be willing to listen to these monsters. I forbid such action!"

With a quick yank, the King pulled his appendage free and narrowed his eyes slightly. "You forget your place. I do believe that I am King, not you. You are merely someone who is paid to offer your advice when asked. And I have not asked."

He turned his attention back to the Saiyans. "I have tried to be a just King. I cannot overlook the fact that most likely all of us would be dead or worse right now, and Noni would be celebrating his control over the galaxy if these Saiyans had not interfered. We are in heavy debt to them. Arachis, when acting as my proxy in negotiating for help, didn't seem to find their demands particularly onerous. So I am very inclined to hear them out."

Thundering footsteps caused everyone to turn and look as another large group of Patrolmen came hurrying down the street and stopped on the opposite side of the Saiyans from the others.

The chastised advisor sneered with glee. "Look we have them vastly outnumbered now. There is no reason to go through with this farce of a deal."

Panting heavily, Filbert stepped forward from his Patrol group as their unofficial leader. He smiled warily as he moved towards the Saiyans. "Ah Mister Goku! You move so fast we couldn't keep up when you took off. Then we had a hard time finding you when our power meters blew up. But we heard all the explosions and followed the lights figuring that you'd be where that was happening."

The male's eyes scrunched in confusion as his gaze slid to Raditz and he spied Gohan still being held in the Saiyan's arm. Familiarity hammered at his mind. Turning to the last warrior there, recognition fully bloomed and his eyes went wide.

Filbert staggered backward a step then swallowed hard. Finally he managed to stammer out a greeting. "P-prince Vegeta sir! I didn't expect to ever see you and your nephew again. You know after we were rescued from that mining planet."

Rambling on, he took another nervous swallow and another step back. "N-not that seeing you is a bad thing! After all we would all still be slaves there if it wasn't for the both of you. It's just you both had vanished before the Galactic Patrol got there."

He clamped a hand over his mouth as a look of terror crossed his face. "Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to say that. None of us had ever mentioned that you and the boy were there, just like you said. Well before now. Please don't kill me"

Vegeta gave a snort and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We didn't come all the way to this damn planet to save your weak ass hides just to have to kill you ourselves."

Now he did roll his eyes and waved a hand towards Goku. "Besides, it seems that Kakarot decided to take time and socialize when he was supposed to be getting rid of Noni's forces. He's enough of a pain in the ass normally, I don't want to deal with an extra amount of his whining and stupidity just because he thinks I'm going to hurt his new 'friends'."

Out of the corner of his eye, Vegeta watched said Saiyan relax minutely at his words.

In a gesture of dismissal, the Prince turned his back on Filbert and stalked over towards the Galactic King. Patrolmen parted like the sea, quickly stepping out of his way. Stopping before the King, he crossed his arms and held his head high as he looked the ruler in the eye.

Silence fell in the area as everyone waited for the Saiyan Prince to speak.

Vegeta let the corner of his mouth twitch into a small smirk as the silence grew almost unbearable before he spoke. "I want absolution for the Saiyan race from any past transgressions, real or perceived."

If anything the silence became deeper for a moment before most of the Patrol members present broke out into shouts and cries of denial and dismay. For his part the King remained quiet and contemplative. He tapped a tentacle on each of his cheeks as he considered the demand before he eyed the Saiyan before him. "You had no formal agreement with me before you took it upon yourselves to intervene in this battle. I am under no obligation to honor the deal. The Saiyan race has a sordid and bloody history. You yourself did much of that under Frieza as well. I cannot just ask all my people to forget the past."

The King didn't show any facial reaction as Vegeta lifted his lip in a snarl and a low growl rumbled out. He lifted up a tentecle in a gesture of peace. "However I am inclined to grant a pardon to you four here after your actions today"

He glanced over towards Filbert. "And apparently in freeing the people on the mining planet where we rescued Filbert's group. Is really this all that you want? No demands for riches and power?"

Fists clenched at his sides in barely suppressed rage, Vegeta glared at the ruler. "No you fool! I want a fresh start for **ALL** Saiyans from here on out. Not just us. I'm want you and your little army of asshats to leave all future members of my race the hell alone as well. And stay away from our damn planet unless we give you permission to visit."

Ignoring the aggression being displayed, the now King had a bewildered look on his face. "Future members? What are you talking about? I was under the impression that Frieza made sure there would be no more Saiyans born."

Vegeta simply turned to the side and pointed towards Gohan. "What does that boy tell you about future generations? Now do I get what we came here for or do I roast your carcass after I level this place?"

The King took a nervous step back. "I must say your demand is unusual, but I will grant it. There are very few of your race left. I suppose I can allow you to show the galaxy how you act when not under Frieza's control.

Vegeta's demeanor relaxed and he crossed his arms back over his chest. "Very well. We'll leave you to clean up this mess. I have no wish to stay here so we will be leaving shortly."

A loud rumble and a whine from behind him caused Vegeta to turn and glare at Goku. The other Saiyan scratched the back of his head nervously. "Sorry. I was kind of hoping we could stay for some food at least. I'm kind of hungry and have an odd craving for calamari."

The Galactic King paled and backed further away from the Saiyans. Arachis gasped in horror, remembering Vegeta's earlier threat, and moved towards his King.

Rubbing his temples in irritation, the Prince shook his head. "No. Just no, Kakarot."

With a wave of his hand to his fellow Saiyans, the Prince turned and strode off in the direction of the spaceport. Raditz followed after him, still carrying Gohan.

Goku looked around at all the Patrol and gave them a wave. "Well it was nice meeting you all. I sure wish we could stay longer and talk. Hopefully I'll get to see some of you around again."

He spun around and raced off after the other Saiyans.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The spaceport was quiet and devoid of life when the Saiyans entered the area. Walking to the nearest spot, Vegeta pulled out their spaceship capsule and pressed the button before tossing it into the space. With a loud pop, the ship appeared. Vegeta opened the hatch and walked in and to the communications panel. Flipping on the power he pressed the right buttons to call up a connection to Capsule Corp back on Earth and sat down to wait patiently for someone to answer.

"Whatcha doing?" Goku gave him a questioning look as he took the seat next to him and dug around in his armor for a small bag. Pulling out a couple beans, he ate one and handed the other to Vegeta.

The Prince let out a snort as he accepted the Senzu bean. "I don't feel like spending two weeks getting back home if we don't have to. So I'm calling up the woman to do something about it. She can go talk with the Namekian and get him to power up to his highest. He's a known chi signature and he should be powerful enough for someone who knows what they are looking for to get a lock on him. Then we can just Instant Transmit back home."

The younger Saiyan gave him a huge grin. "That's a great idea! Then we can have a real meal for dinner instead of the packaged stuff that Bulma packed for us. That stuff is all bland and not very filling."

Having finally set Gohan down, Raditz came up behind his brother and grabbed the bag of beans from him. Eating one he handed the rest over to his nephew. "Only you would think exclusively with your stomach. I thought that the King was going to die of fright when you mentioned eating calamari."

Gohan snickered as he sat on the floor and popped a bean into his mouth. "Yeah, Dad. That was hilarious."

Goku gave them a sheepish look and sighed. "I really didn't mean it like that. I was just hungry."


	27. There and Back

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. This is a nonprofit story.

 _*No, I'm not dead. Yes, I'm still plodding away at this. If it hasn't been one thing, it's been another causing me issues to write. I need silence and a calm state of mind to write. Getting both has been hard to come by. No more fight scenes for a short while after this so HOPEFULLY I get the next chapter done in something resembling a timely manner.*_

 _'word'_ = thoughts

 **Chapter 27: There and Back**

Two of the Galactic King's advisors stormed down the halls of the Galactic Patrol headquarters. They very carefully side stepped bodies as well the Patrolmen currently tasked with cleanup and disposal.

One advisor was red in the face and flailing his arms about in jerky emphasis to his angry words. "I don't care if he IS the king. He still shouldn't have embarrassed me like that. We are his advisors because we know more than him. What's the point if he isn't going to do as we advise? Those Saiyans are a menace to the very existence of the galaxy and must be eliminated."

The other advisor tried to shush his companion while taking furtive glances around at the Patrolmen to see if any were paying attention to their conversation. "Shhh. We don't need anyone thinking that you're planning to overthrow him. I personally would rather keep my head attached, thank you very much. Plus it's not like we can just go behind the King's back and have them eliminated."

His partner gave him a speculative look before rubbing his chin in thought. Then an evil smile broke out on his face. "That is actually a very good idea. The Saiyans have their ship over at the spaceport. All we need to do is send in a squad of elite Patrolmen to sabotage the ship so that it blows up on launch and takes them with it. Then we can send another squad to planet Earth and eliminate any remnants that may be left there. Now just who should we send?"

The other looked deep in thought for a moment. "I know of a couple dozen Patrolmen that are good at blindly following commands. If we tell them that the King has thought over the situation and decided he does want the Saiyans destroyed, they will do it without asking question."

The first shook his hands up and down in glee. "Good. We had better hurry. We don't want our 'guests' to leave before we can give them their surprise."

The two hurried off down the corridor, congratulating each other on their plans.

Unnoticed behind where they had been standing, two Patrolmen were seemingly immersed in their cleanup work. Once the advisors were well out of sight and hearing range, they turned towards each other.

The shorter crossed his arms and pursed his lips. "Did you hear them Arachis? They are going against the King's word. That's unjust after what the Saiyan's did, even if they do have blood on their hands. The King should be told immediately."

Arachis nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he needs to know that there is sedition in the ranks. We had better hurry. I have a feeling that an explosion wouldn't do much more than piss a Saiyan off, and we've seen them pissed off already. I'd rather like to keep living."

Jaco stared at him, his multifaceted eyes large in horror. He gave a shudder. "Yeah, that hit from the kid was more than enough for me."

They both turned and hurried down the corridors towards the throne room.

The two Patrolmen rushed up to the guards at the doors to the King's audience chamber. Jaco motioned for them to open the door. "Hurry up. We need to see the King. It's of ultimate importance!"

The guards scoffed at him. "You think the smallest things are of the highest importance, Jaco. This probably isn't any different."

Arachis reached forward and grabbed ahold of that guard's arm. "He's right this time. It deals with those Saiyans."

Eyes wide, the guards opened the doors and stepped back to allow them access.

Jaco and Arachis looked around inside, locating the King. Then they dashed over and gave a slight bow.

The King gave a curious look at the two agitated Patrolmen. "You both have fulfilled your duties admirably today, however I thought you were assigned to help with cleanup. Is there something else that you needed?"

Jaco peered up at the King and grimaced. "We were working out in the halls and overheard a couple of your advisors discussing how they were going to use a squad of Patrolmen to eliminate the Saiyans by attacking their ship right before they lift off. They didn't take notice of us and we came here as soon as they were out of sight."

Nodding in agreement, Arachis added missing information. "It very much sounded like treason. They were very upset that you agreed to the Saiyan's requests. They discussed how they felt that you should have done as the one had said and attacked the Saiyans after they finished off Noni. He was very angry over you embarrassing him in front of everyone by stating he was just an advisor."

The King scowled in anger before turning to the few advisors still around him. He pointed a tentacle to the nearest one. "You, go gather every squad you can and head over to the Spaceport."

The advisor gave a bow and hurried off, calling several of the guards to follow him.

The King turned back to Arachis and Jaco. "Alone you two will be able to move much quicker. You can go and warn the Saiyans of this attack and that I had nothing to do with it. If you can convince them to not kill any Patrolmen, it would be even better."

The two gave their King a salute and dashed off.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Gohan let out a bored sigh as he laid back and listened to the adult discussion of Raditz's Super Saiyan transformation. _'I know it's important for him to have been able to reach it, but I'm still hyped up from the fight. Though it was nice that no one was seriously injured this time. Maybe I can go do some laps around the ship. I'll be near enough if they need me.'_

Decision made, the boy quietly scrambled to his feet and bounced out the entrance of the ship. Raising his arms above his head he stretched out. Movement above his hands caught his eye and he spun around to look up. Several Patrolmen were surreptitiously placing suspicious objects on the ship.

A snarl of anger lifted the young Saiyan's lip as he floated into the air. "Hey! What do you think you're doing!"

One of the Patrolmen called out an alarm and several more on the ground rushed out of the shadows and trained their weapons on the boy. When they hesitated, reluctant to actually attack a child, a voice called out from the back of the Squad. "Don't just stand there, kill this one now!"

One raised his weapon up, and as he began to squeeze the trigger, was tackled by a purple and white body. Grunting he shoved the figure of Jaco off of him.

Arachis leapt into the front of the Patrolmen and spread his arms wide. "Stop! Don't attack him! You've all been lied to!"

The voice from the back of the Squad called out again. "I see you've turned traitor and sided with these monsters. Squad, eliminate these two buffoons as well."

Jaco scrabbled to his feet and placed one hand on his hip with the other in the air. "Fellow Patrolmen, do not listen to these untrue and unjust words! He has gone against our King's commands. If you do not wish to believe me, just wait for a few minutes. There is another Patrol Squad on the way who will verify what we have said."

"Preposterous!" The voice yelled out again and the previously shamed advisor pushed his way up towards the front. Pulling a weapon from out of the hands of one of the Squad, he aimed it at Arachis. "You all know how much of a screw up Jaco is. How can you even think of believing anything he says. I'm a royal advisor. I'm right and he's wrong."

He swung the weapon to point at Jaco and smiled evilly. There was a small flash of light and the blaster exploded in his hands.

Eyes turned to see Gohan with a finger still raised and pointed at the advisor. He gave Jaco a nod of respect. "I don't particularly like Jaco there, but he's a lot more honorable that you."

All weapons trained back on the boy just as Vegeta and Raditz stepped out of the ship, drawn by the noise.

Vegeta gave the group a sneer. "Did you all decide to come and die? I was willing to leave in mutual peace, but if you insist we can kill you all."

The Prince's words were emphasized by Raditz flashing to super Saiyan in anger. Several Patrolmen took a step back.

Shouts carried into the area as many winded Patrolmen rushed onto the scene. "Stop! Stop!"

One of the loyal advisors wheezed his way up behind them, gasping for air. He pointed a hand at the insubordinate advisor. "Seize him and the other who was with him. They have gone against the King's orders."

Gohan dropped to the ground beside the other Saiyans. "They were planting stuff on our ship, then they went to attack me, but those two," he waved at Jaco and Arachis, "stepped in and stopped them."

Vegeta watched through narrowed eyes the small scuffles as the two advisors were grabbed and restrained. "I should take this as a breaking of our deal, however I know how two-faced pricks can be. You're lucky I'm in a good mood after the slaughter of that asshole, Noni. You have five minutes to get your crap off of our ship before I start doing something about it."

Taking several deep breaths, Raditz calmed himself and let his hair fade back to black as they waited for everything to be removed.

Just as the last Patrolman slid off of the Earth ship, Goku came rushing out. "Hey guys. I just got done talking with Dad. He said he'd get Krillin and he'll tell him to power up all the way."

The Prince gave a snort. "Fine, Kakarot. You're still best at it so you can Instant Transmit us back. I'll grab the ship."

Walking up to beside the walkway, Vegeta pushed the button and the ship capsulized itself in a puff of smoke. Surprised shouts made him smirk at those around them. "Oh, yes. I forgot you peons don't have access to Earth's wonderful technology. Perhaps in a few decades we might feel generous enough to sell some of it to you. Or not."

Goku lifted his chin from where he'd been concentrating, two fingers still to his forehead. "Alright guys, I've got him."

Raditz and Gohan each put a hand on him. Vegeta gave the Patrol one last scathing look before putting his own hand on Goku. "It would be in your best interests to just leave us the hell alone."

He gave a nod to Goku, then to the shock of the Patrolmen watching, they vanished.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

It was a dim, rainy evening as Bulma wandered into the kitchen. She had her cell phone sandwiched between her shoulder and ear. Seeing a salad already prepared and waiting at the table for her, she gave her mother a wave of thanks. "Yeah, yeah. I know the results didn't come out quite like I was hoping. I know, just set it up on the machine and make a bolt for further testing. It still shows promise for other application even if the stretch ratio isn't correct. Alright, I'll check it this afternoon. Bye."

Bulma ended the phone conversation and dropped heavily into her seat. She gave a weary smile to the two little boys sitting in their high chairs. "And how are my adorable little men doing? Are you being good for grandma?"

With a full mouth, Trunks enthusiastically nodded his head at her and Goten gave her a wide grin.

Placing another large bowl in front of Trunks, Mr Briefs watched him tear into the food. She giggled as she sat beside a now whining Goten and scooped up another spoonful for him. For several minutes it was mostly silent in the kitchen with only the sounds of eating.

Bulma paused with her salad fork halfway to her mouth before looking around curiously. "That's what's wrong. Where's Tights? I thought she was helping with the boys at meal times."

The perpetual grin vanished from Panchy's face. "She has been, but she took a break from writing on her novel today as well. That Yamcha asked her out on a dinner date."

Bulma raised an eyebrow at that. "What is this, their second date now? You don't seem very happy about it, Mom."

Her mother gave a small huff. "I just know how he treated you all those years. I don't want my other daughter to go through the same thing. I thought you warned her how he could be."

Rolling her eyes, Bulma chewed another forkful of greens before answering. "She knows. I wrote to her and complained enough while it was going on. She seems so taken with him that she's going to have to learn on her own. Hopefully Yamcha has pulled his head out of his ass and actually treats her right. He's still my friend and I'd like for him to be happy as well."

Mrs Briefs gave another huff. "I'm just afraid if it all goes south that Tights will run back off into space and I'll never see her again. It's been nice finally having her back home again.

Finishing up her meal, Bulma gave her mother a pat on the shoulder. "Well give it a chance. It's not like he's going to be taking her out to a bar this early in their relationship. It got to the point I could always time a break up by where he took me. The bar scene offered too much tempting eye candy for him. Until they reach that stage, I wouldn't interfere."

Turning before making her way out of the kitchen, Bulma gave the boys a smile. "Alright. Back to work for me. I've come very close to getting some working fabric for training clothes. It's not quite as durable or stretchy as those PTO uniforms I'm basing it off of, but it's getting there. Then I'll be able to make the guys some casual clothes that don't get destroyed if they decide to go ape on us."

She paused at the doorway. "Dad said the boys should be reaching that planet within the next day or so. Hopefully, we'll be hearing from them soon that everything is going alright."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

A few days later Dr Briefs was sitting hunched over his desk sketching out the designs for a new hoverjet. Labeling a few details on the airship, he absentmindedly reached up to pet the cat on his shoulder. "This should do, shouldn't it Scratch? Then over here I can add that in."

He was slowly drug out of his musings by the sound of a low beeping coming from down the hall. Sitting up straight, he stretched out his back with several loud pops. "Hmm. I wonder what that is?"

Following the sound he came to the computer lab. The screen on one of the back machines was flashing for attention. A grin split the old man's face as he made his way over. "Well look at that, Scratch, it's our boys. I wonder how long they have been calling?"

Sitting down he flipped on the communications. The faces of the three adult Saiyans filled the screen. "Good morning there, boys. How is everything going."

Goku gave him a bright smile. "It's been pretty good. We took care of the problems here."

A sound drew the attention of the males on the spaceship. Vegeta stood up and looked around, noticing Gohan's absence. "Kakarot, you discuss with him what's needed. Raditz and I will see what's going on and find the boy."

Giving him a nod of understanding, Goku turned back to Dr Briefs. "We're ready to come home, Dad. It just we don't want to spend another two weeks to do so. If you could get Krillin or Piccolo to power up all the way, they should be powerful enough for us to sense them from here. It would be great to just get this trip over with so we can have something real to eat."

The old man smiled. "Sure thing, my boy. I know where Krillin should be right about now. Just make sure you don't forget that ship. Bulma will have your hide if you lose another one."

"We won't forget. I promise." Goku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before cutting the communications.

Closing his end of the conversation as well, Dr Briefs stood back up and went off in search of Krillin.

The two now stood out on the lawn as Krillin took a stance and began to power up, drawing out all of his chi. Once at his peak, he held it there and waited, knowing it might take them a few minutes.

A sense of displacement filled the air, drawing both human's attention.

Looking up as the group of Saiyans appeared in front of him on the lawn, Dr Briefs gave them a smile. "Welcome back, boys. I trust my ship held up well for you."

Vegeta gave him a nod as he handed the capsule over to the old man. "It did as expected. You should have some bots check over the outside of it for any left behind bombs, though. It seems we weren't very much wanted."

The scientist looked at the capsule in his hand before twitching his upper lip and wandering away. "I'll see to that. Well I must go get ready for a meeting. I'll leave you boys to fend for yourselves."

Krillin stood with one hand on his elbow and the other on his chin, looking over the long haired Saiyan. "Whatever you all did on the way there sure paid off for Raditz. I can really tell how much stronger he's gotten."

The Saiyan gave him a prideful smirk. "Of course I'm stronger. I joined the ranks of the legendary."

Goku gave him a clap on the back. "You sure did. And if you work hard at it, you might get up to Gohan's level soon."

Raditz glared at his brother.

Hiding a snicker behind his hand with a cough, Krillin turned away from them. "Come on guys. I'm sure there are some ladies who will want to see you.

The group made their way inside to find Bulma and Panchy deep in a discussion.

The Saiyans eyed the huddled Briefs women with apprehension. Cleaning robots scurried back and forth putting the already neat house into pristine condition. The males didn't know what was going on, but it couldn't be good.

Krillin shoved past his taller companions and looked around. "Hey Bulma. What's going on? It looks like you're getting ready to host the mayor or something."

Bulma looked up and eyed the sweaty warriors critically. "Of course all of you would show back up right now. We have a very important client coming over for lunch to discuss some business. So I'm going to need all of you to vanish until later this afternoon. I'll give you the credit card and you can go eat out. Just try not to bring down the army on you this time."

Mrs Briefs made a shooing motion with her hands. "You boys go hurry and get cleaned up. I'll get the babies ready. You can take them with you. That will help us out here."

Vegeta gave her a put upon look and crossed his arms. "We've been gone for weeks. I don't see why we need to be kicked out of our own home just because some worthless human is coming over."

Placing her hands on her hips, Bulma stepped up and into the Prince's face. "Pull your arrogant head out of your ass. Did you forget that we are some of those "worthless humans" too? What part of important business meeting don't you understand. We don't need some bottomless pits distracting the client or you scaring him off with a threat. Don't think I don't know about what happened last time we had a client over. That company still refuses to return our calls."

Vegeta gave her a sneer. "There are a few humans I find tolerable. You just happen to be one of them. I however do not know what you're talking about on this "last time."

Bulma smacked him in the arm. "Don't think you can play stupid with me. I was wondering what had happened so I went asking around. All it takes is a bit of chocolate cake to get certain tongues around here wagging."

The Prince turned to scowled at his fellow Saiyans, none of whom were willing to meet his eye.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The warriors dropped out of the sky in front of Krillin's favorite restaurant, startling the people outside. They were dressed in jeans, t-shirts, and jackets this time in an attempt to not stand out quite as badly.

Gohan grinned as he looked up at the sign. "Cool. Maybe I'll get to punch someone again."

Scratching the back of his head, Goku held Goten in the other arm. "Son, I know you're still feeling frisky from the fighting earlier, but we need to try and be nice to everyone."

The boy gave a sigh. "I know. But the guy deserved it last time."

Moving inside, the crowd of people waiting to be seated pressed in on the group. Trunks giggled from his perch on Raditz's shoulders as yet another person bumped into the warrior, causing him to growl. Surprised, the offender jumped back away.

Just then a server came up, his eyes growing big as he saw them. He quickly looked through the seating list then eyed the Saiyans nervously. "Am I correct in guessing that you're the party who called in a reservation and the order for 30 pizzas?"

Recognizing the man who had waited on them the previous time the group was there, Krillin gave a sigh of relief. He didn't know how far Vegeta's patience would last today. He gave a nod to the waiter and followed him. "Yup. That's us. It's best not to keep these guys waiting when they are hungry."

Krillin sat watching in amusement as the Saiyans tore into the the food like they hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks. He gave a small snort as he remembered the quality of the rations they had on the ship during the trip to Namek. They really hadn't had anything decent.

Goku paused in his eating to watch someone come in the restaurant door and head over to the bar area. Swallowing, he motioned in that direction with his head. "Hey, there's Yamcha, and isn't that Tights with him?"

The bald human looked over in that direction. "Yeah. That's them. Yamcha has taken her out on a few dates now. I don't really see how it's going to work out with them, though. You know how Yamcha can be. He makes a good friend, but he's a lousy boyfriend."

Stuffing a slice of pizza in his mouth, Goku glanced over to watch the couple occasionally.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Tights gave Yamcha a half-hearted smile as he lead her into the resturaunt. _'Well at least it isn't a bar this time. I do wish he'd pick some place a little bit fancier just once.'_

Waving at some of the waiters, Yamcha lead Tights to the back of the eatery to an area sectioned off with railings. She gave a mental sigh as they strode up to the bar and he helped her into a seat. _'Well, I thought that too soon.'_

After buying a couple drinks, they sat there chatting with each other for a while.

Seeing something behind Tights, Yamcha gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and got up. "Hey, babe. I need to go do something really quick. I'll be right back."

Nodding, she watched him wander off towards the back of the bar area.

Waiting there for a good ten minutes, Tights sat watching her drink as she swirled it in her glass.

Suddenly her personal space was invaded by a rough looking man smelling heavily of alcohol. He gave her a greasy smile. "What's a broad like you doing here all alone. You need to be a piece of eye candy on a man's arm."

Tights forcefully shoved him away. "I'm here with someone who should be right back."

The man scoffed at her. "Yeah, that's what all the chicks say. I've been watching you for a bit, sitting here all alone. You're coming with me so we can have a good time."

He grabbed her arm and forcibly pulled her off her chair, causing her to cry out. "Hey! Let me go!"

With a sneer the man jerked her towards him. "I said you're coming with me."

Back across the room, five sets of eyes watched with growing anger. Eyes flashing to teal, Raditz dropped his food and stood up. "I'll take care of this."

He stormed over to the commotion and grabbed the man by the wrist and pulled him away from his victim. The man bellowed in pain as his arm was held firm.

Startled that someone had actually intervened, Tights looked up in astonishment to find Raditz standing there. "When did you get here?"

The Saiyan smirked at her before turning his attention to the man he still held captive by the wrist. "Not listening to the ladies is bad for your health."

A child's voice cut through the cacophony of the restaurant. "Kick his ass Uncle Raditz!"

The noise level dropped abruptly as curious patrons turned to see what was going on. The boy was balanced on the rail separating the bar from the rest of the restaurant, tail swishing back and forth in excitement.

The man caught in the long haired Saiyan's grip gaped in apprehension as he focused on Gohan. "That's the kid who punched me out before!"

Turning his attention back to the large male holding him he began to tremble and pull at the grip in panic. "T-that, that means you're one of those Saiyans too!"

Raditz gave him a sinister smile, which turned into a low laugh when he heard the voices behind him.

Krillin had made a dash for Gohan and was trying to pull him back to the ground. "No, Gohan! Don't encourage him. It's not right to beat up lowlifes. Well...err...I guess sometimes they do deserve it. Just not when Bulma threatened my neck about it."

Vegeta's voice called from where he was still sitting. "Leave the boy be, Baldy. Better yet, just let him go take care of that trash again."

Looking between his son and the Prince, Goku furrowed his brow in disapproval. "But Vegeta. Bulma said..."

He was cut off by a smack to the back of the head. "Shut up, Kakarot. The woman isn't here."

By now it was very quiet as everyone was watching the drama unfold. Into this, Yamcha shoved his way with the brunette he'd dashed off to see still clinging to his arm. Taken aback at the sight of the boy and ex-monk, he looked around to see who else was there. "Hey Gohan? I didn't think you all were back yet."

"Hey, Yamcha!" Goku waved at him from where he was still supervising the babies.

The woman on Yamcha's arm looked up at him and began to coo. "Oh, Yamcha sweetie. Why don't you introduce me to your friends. Last week you said you would if we ever ran into them."

A gasp to his right caused the scar faced warrior to turn in that direction. He gulped as he watched Tights put both hands on her hips and fire flare into her eyes.

As the Tights stomped past him, Raditz tightened his hold on the man's wrist causing him to cry out in pain again, before flinging him to the ground. He lifted his lip in a snarl. "Get lost jackass. If I ever see you again you'll regret it."

The man scrambled backwards away from the Saiyan as a wet spot appeared on his pants. He struggled to his feet with his friend's assistance and they bolted for the door.

With a snort, Raditz turned and followed the irate, blonde haired woman.

As Tights stopped in front of Yamcha, she gave him a glare that caused him to flinch in fear. Striking like a snake, she reached out and slapped him across the cheek.

The woman on Yamcha's arm let out a squeal of protest and moved forward to claw at Tights, even as the fighter wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her back. "How dare you attack my boyfriend you harlot! Do you even know who he is? He's a famous baseball player!"

Yamcha had the decency to look uncomfortable at the words. He cleared his throat. "Um, listen, Tights..."

He was cut off by her scowl. "Don't even start on me, Yamcha."

She glanced over at the other woman. "Oh, I know who he is alright. He's been taking me out a few times trying to convince me to fully date him. I was a fool and thought he couldn't be as bad as my sister had made him out to be. After all, I saw what she ended up marrying."

A gruff bark of "Hey." came from where the Saiyans were seated.

Tights held up her index finger in that direction for a moment. "It looks like I was a bit too quick to judge. You left me to be molested while you went and womanized. To my surprise, it was the hairball over here who came to my rescue. I guess I should be grateful to your bimbo here for opening my eyes."

As she turned to walk away, Yamcha reached out and grabbed her arm. "Tights, wait a second. I can explain. Just give me a chance."

Raditz pulled the human's arm away from her with a growl. "I think you've caused her enough troubles."

Yamcha jerked back away from the Saiyan. "Come on, Tights. It's really important that we talk about this. How about I give you some time and we discuss it this evening then?"

Tights ignored him and kept walking.

The blonde woman started as a large hand came up to rest on her lower back and steered her towards the table where a concerned Goku was watching. "This way. You can sit with us and eat. Then later on we'll get you back home to your mother."

Tights glanced back nervously at Raditz and he gave her a nod. "Come on. We'll never hear the end of it from Bulma if you don't."

Nervously glancing around at all the Saiyans, she took a seat next to Trunks who beamed at her. "Auntie Tights!"

She gave him a genuine smile. Both kids had grown on her over the last couple weeks.

Suddenly a plate with a few slices of pizza was slid in front of her by Raditz. "You should eat."

Giving Yamcha a shake of his head, Krillin ushered Gohan back into his seat and sat back down himself. He watched as Tights nibbled at the food in front of her before rubbing his head with a sigh. "I'm sorry about that Tights. After everything Bulma and Yamcha went through and how depressed he was over her, I was hoping he'd have changed his ways with women. It's probably best that you not be around the house this evening. Give him some time to stew over what he did. Maybe get some of what Bulma calls retail therapy. I'm sure she'd be glad of the excuse to go shopping."

She gave him a laugh. "Yeah, that would probably be good."

Looking over the Saiyans once again. She decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. "We didn't really get to know each other before you had all left. Now is as good of a time as any to do so. Bulma has told me a lot about all of you."

The group relaxed as Goku and Krillin began to animatedly tell her of some of their adventures. Tights told of her trips with Jaco and the novels she was busy writing. Raditz and Gohan added in some stories of their own and even Vegeta joined in a bit.

Tights ended up with a look of happiness on her face as they left the restaurant to go home. _'For such a calamity of a date, this is probably one of the best afternoons I've actually had with other people in a while.'_

Taking Krillin's advice, she sought out her sister immediately on their return.

Bulma's anger was evident on her face as Tights spoke to her about the disastrous lunch date with Yamcha. "I cannot believe that man! So every time he has taken you out on a 'date' it's been to a bar? The nerve of him. Bars were always a sign he was going to do something stupid for us to break up back when we were dating. I assumed that he was taking it seriously with you. Apparently I was wrong. Urgh! Now I really wish I hadn't encouraged you to go for him."

Tights looked at her glumly and sighed. "Yeah. I thought it was just me and not being used to going out with human men."

Her expression grew serious as she stared at her sister. "What really surprised me was when that tall Saiyan with all the hair came over to rescue me. I mean, I thought they were always mean to people."

Bulma shook her head at her sister. "Just wait and you'll see more. They aren't all that bad, well if you ignore Vegeta always snapping at people like a rabid dog. I think he just does that to keep them at a distance. He's very slow to trust sometimes. Goku and Gohan will have you fully at ease with them within a few days at the most. It's really hard not to like them. Goku's random goofiness is just part of his charm."

Digging out her purse, Bulma looked Tights over. "Well come on. Let's get you out of here before Yamcha decides to come back. You could use some new outfits anyway. Plus, if we are lucky, we'll find something cute for the kids."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Bulma eased open the front door to the Capsule Corp living quarters with her elbow as she balanced a multitude of shopping bags in her hands. Her weary sister followed her.

Stepping inside, Tights carefully shut the door with her foot. She glanced up at the clock in the hall. 11:07 pm. It was getting late and she knew her parents went to bed early so they could get up early with the babies. Neither woman wished to wake them.

Bulma strode down the entry hall towards the living room where she could see light flickering and hear the low sound of the TV. Stepping inside and off to the right, she dropped her load of bags near a window. She'd sort through them in the morning.

Tights came up behind her and followed suit, trying to ignore their audience. Glancing over her shoulder towards the couch, she saw Yamcha and Krillin looking back at her. "Hey guys. Shopping ran a bit long, but I found the cutest outfits and Bulma wanted to get her hair done. It really was what I needed, Krillin. Thanks for suggesting it."

She gave the ex-monk a warm smile. Yamcha gave her an irritated scowl. "I thought we were going to discuss stuff this evening? It really wasn't what it looked like at the restaurant."

Tights scowled right back at him. "I can't be here all the time you know. I do have a life."

Bulma grabbed her sister's elbow and steered her out of the room while giving Yamcha a warning glare. "It's late and everything can wait until morning. We're both beat and heading up to bed."

They started walking out of the living room and towards the staircase to the second floor. Yamcha stood and moved to intercept her. "But Tights..."

She held up her hand to stop him. "No. I'm still mad at you and don't want to discuss it right now. Goodnight."

Tights practically ran up the steps to get away from his pestering, taking them two at a time. Bulma followed at a more sedate pace, shaking her head in deja vu at the all too familiar scene.

As she moved down the hall towards her room at the other end, Tights was grateful that her parents only allowed family in this wing. All others were to stay in the guest wing, the stairwell to which was over near the kitchen. No excuses for Yamcha to follow her up while she was still angry with him.

She opened her door and slipped inside, closing and locking it. She let out a frustrated groan as she moved through the familiar space in the dark until she came to her desk and flipped on the lamp. Grabbing her notebook and a pen, she angrily began to scratch out words for another chapter of her story.

Bulma stared at her sister's closed door sadly for a moment before entering her own room next door. Moving to her dresser, she began to rummage through the top drawer looking for her nighty.

An unexpected gruff voice spoke, startling her. "What the hell did you do to your hair?"

She spun around with wide eyes. There sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard was her Saiyan prince, giving her a look of displeased scrutiny. Placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart, she willed it to slow. "Do you enjoy scaring me half to death? I forgot that you were back."

The Prince stood from the bed and quickly crossed the floor to stand inches from her. He reached out and fingered a few of the tight curls on her head. "Why did you do this hideous thing to your hair?"

"It's, um, the style right now. Doesn't it look cute?" She reached out and laid her palm on his chest then ran a finger down his abs.

He gave a snort. "Well I dislike it. It makes you look like a clown. You will change it back to normal."

She gave him a scowl. "Hey buddy. It's my hair. I'll do with it as I please. Why would I change it just because you don't like it?"

He leaned into her ear, his breath hot on her skin making her shiver. "Just change it, Bulma."

Like always, her breath caught in her throat at the sound of her name on his lips. In the next moment she let out a moan as his lips found her neck. He buried one hand deeply in her hair and the other wrapped tightly around her waist as he pulled her flush against his body.

Vegeta's voice was rough and low as he trailed open mouthed kisses down her neck and along her shoulder. "I know it's only been a couple weeks, but gods, I missed you woman."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Tights was laying back on her bed staring at the ceiling.

She'd barely had ten minutes of quiet when the noises had started from the next room. She knew that there was some sound proofing on it and in worry had made it as far as her sister's door before she was stopped by the moans and vocalizations. Blushing lightly, she removed her hand from the door knob and backed away. She'd forgotten about Bulma's husband being back.

It had now been over half an hour and she was trying in vain to block out what she was hearing. With a groan she covered her head with her pillow. _'Damn it, Bulma. You know how I'm feeling right now. Do you have to rub it in?'_

Giving up she decided to head down to the kitchen. As she crept down the stairs she listened intently for any sounds. If she ran into Yamcha right now she didn't know what she might do.

All was quiet and the halls were dark except for a dim light shining from the kitchen. Holding her breath she peered around the corner. The figure standing in front of the refrigerator was way too short to be Yamcha.

Giving a sigh of relief, she stepped into the kitchen and flipped on a light. "What are you doing?"

Gohan turn and looked up at her with wide eyes and impossibly stuffed cheeks as he held the gallon of ice cream and spoon to his chest. He swallowed hastily and gave her a fearful look. "Please don't tell Grandma!"

Just as quickly he dropped the container to grab his head in pain.

Tights shook her head as she walked over to the boy and picked up the tub. "Don't eat it so fast next time."

She set the ice cream back in the open freezer and shut both appliance doors.

Eyeing the boy cautiously she led him over to the table. "Here, sit down and I'll make you some cocoa. That will warm you back up. Plus it will give me some time for the sounds to die down upstairs."

Rubbing his temple, Gohan snickered through the pain. "I'm guessing your room is next to Bulma's and you found out why no one else wants one there."

Setting a kettle of water on to heat, Tights gave him an appraising glance. "You're what, seven? What do you know about the noises going on?"

As the pain in his temple eased, Gohan gave her a Cheshire grin. "I've learned a lot from books."

He gave a shudder. "Plus I had the misfortune to teleport in on them once. That won't ever, ever happen again."

Tights couldn't help but laugh at the boy's look of horror.

He gave her a look of disgust. "Yeah, you laugh until it happens to you."

Cautiously she ruffled his hair, half expecting him to explode at her for touching him.

He just gave her a lopsided grin. "Can you tell me some more of your stories about your trips out in space?"

She gave him a smile before fixing up two mugs of the cocoa, then sat beside him. "Sure thing. But you have to promise me you won't get upset if I mention Jaco or why he came to Earth."

Gohan waved her off. "It's okay. We came to an understanding. I'm not mad at him anymore. I also had a lot explained to me about how everyone sees Saiyans."

Relaxing just a bit more, Tights cupped her drink in her hands before speaking. "It all started when I was sixteen..."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Finishing up their drinks, Tights set the mugs in the sink. She gave Gohan another genuine smile before steering him towards the door. "It's late. You should go on back to bed. Hopefully it will be quiet enough for me to get some myself, or I'll have to find a couch to sleep on."

Gohan gave her a laugh before grabbing her hand. "I've been there and done that. The couch isn't that comfortable."

He tugged her up the stairs and stopped in front of his door. "You can sleep in here with us. There's plenty of room in the bed and no one will disturb you with Dad there."

He looked at her sadly. "I heard you and Yamcha tonight. He's a good human warrior, he just doesn't have some things straight. If you want some time to think, you should definitely come in here with me. He won't look for you here."

Tights was filled with trepidation as the boy opened the door and pulled her in. It was too dark for her to see anything, but he seemed to move about just fine. When she felt her hand placed on the edge of the bed she felt her way into it. She hesitated as her hand came into contact with a warm body.

Gohan gave a snort before sliding up past her and she could feel him shove the figure as he whispered. "Move over. We need some room here."

A half awake grunt met hear ears before the sound of a body rolling over in the sheets. Gohan gave her a gentle push into the bed. With a sigh she complied and then felt the boy settle in behind her and pull up the blankets.

Tights laid on her side and stared into the dark as she listened to Gohan's breathing even out. Even with her family's tales, she still wasn't sure if she could bring herself to fully trust these Saiyans. She gave a little laugh in her head. _'Sure they are scary as hell with all the stories I've heard from the Galactic Patrol, but I got to see a bit of a different side today. I think I'll just take it one day at a time and see how it goes.'_

The large figure behind her, which she assumed was her adopted brother, rolled over again and she froze as an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in to spoon against him. She felt her panic fade as the even breaths told her that he wasn't awake. She tried to slide the arm off of her to scoot away but the grip tightened. With a sigh she gave in and relaxed. She'd deal with it in the morning. It gave her an odd sense of being protected. The comfort and warmth of the bed pulled her into sleep.


End file.
